CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters were allowed back into the White House on Thursday, six days after President Donald Trump barred the three news organisations from the premises.
The development followed an order by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly directing the Trump administration to temporarily restore the outlets’ press access. Kelly ruled that the revocation of their press credentials likely violated their constitutional due process rights.
Reporters from the three organisations who attempted to enter the White House early Thursday ahead of a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping were initially turned away by the Secret Service. They were eventually allowed onto the premises around midday.
The outlets had sought an emergency court hearing after some of their journalists were denied entry despite Kelly’s ruling.
In his decision, Kelly said the government generally must provide individuals with notice and an opportunity to be heard before depriving them of a constitutionally protected interest.
The judge also questioned the administration’s argument that national security concerns justified the revocation of the journalists’ credentials.
Trump had barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House after accusing them of publishing what he described as “fake news.” The organisations subsequently filed a joint lawsuit, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment’s protection of press freedom and their Fifth Amendment due process rights.
The Trump administration argued in court that the president has authority to control reporters’ access to restricted areas of the White House, including the Oval Office, and maintained that access to the presidential complex is a privilege rather than a right.
The White House also accused CNN and the other outlets of publishing false or sensitive information, including reports concerning national security and the US-Iran conflict.
Kelly, however, expressed skepticism about whether national security was the actual motivation for revoking the outlets’ press credentials, according to his ruling.
The judge’s temporary restraining order requires the administration to restore the outlets’ access for 14 days while the broader legal dispute continues.
The dispute had also prompted other major U.S. television networks to suspend their White House pool coverage in solidarity with the affected outlets.
ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said the public had an important interest in receiving independent information about the government and that access should not be restricted because an administration disagreed with a news organisation’s reporting.
Although CNN, MS NOW and Politico have regained physical access to the White House, the wider legal battle over press credentials and media access is expected to continue.
