Reporters for CNN, MS NOW and Politico remained locked out of the White House Thursday morning even after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore their press credentials, escalating a legal fight over the government's power to restrict news organizations from presidential access.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday requiring officials to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" the outlets' permanent White House credentials. Kelly found that the organizations were likely to succeed on their claim that the administration withdrew their passes without constitutionally adequate due process.
Hours later, however, journalists from all three organizations were still reporting problems entering the White House complex. Axios reported that the outlets sought an immediate hearing after their journalists were denied access, and Kelly directed the administration to respond to the allegations of noncompliance.
Politico said one of its reporters attempted to enter Thursday morning but had his permanent "hard pass" confiscated by the Secret Service. An agent said the reporter was not cleared to enter, though he might be able to obtain a temporary day pass, according to the outlet.
MS NOW correspondent Laura Barrón-López similarly said her credential was taken when she arrived at the White House. She said a Secret Service agent told her the badge was "still being disabled," leaving uncertainty over whether the continued denial reflected a lag in the access system or failure to carry out Kelly's order.
CNN also said members of its staff were turned away. The timing raised the stakes because Chinese President Xi Jinping was scheduled to visit the White House Thursday, and CNN was slated to handle television pool duties for portions of the visit, according to Axios.
Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18, saying CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be excluded from the White House "effective immediately." In a Truth Social post, he accused the organizations of repeatedly publishing "FAKE NEWS" and said other outlets could face similar treatment.
The administration later argued in court that its decision was also connected to national-security concerns and maintained that access to the White House was a privilege rather than an entitlement. Kelly found the evidentiary basis for that explanation lacking.
"The record lacks factual support" for the argument that revoking the passes would protect national security, Kelly wrote, according to reports on the ruling. The judge also noted that Trump's original explanation focused on what he considered false or unfavorable reporting rather than identifying a specific security threat.
Kelly also questioned one of the standards the administration said could justify revoking press access, describing it as "so vague it hardly does the trick." His temporary order did not resolve the broader First Amendment claims in the case, but it required the credentials to be restored while the litigation continues.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed suit after their journalists were denied access following Trump's announcement. They argued that the administration retaliated against them because of their reporting and revoked established press credentials without sufficient notice or an opportunity to contest the decision.
Theodore Boutrous Jr., an attorney representing the outlets, called Kelly's decision "a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law."
