Politics · India Bureau
US Court Orders Restoration of News Outlets' White House Access
A federal judge has temporarily blocked the Trump administration's ban on three major news organizations from accessing White House grounds, ruling the outlets must be allowed to resume their coverage.
LSN India ·
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order Thursday preventing President Donald Trump from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House premises. The order will remain in effect for 14 days while the court examines the constitutional questions at stake.
Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the three outlets of spreading "fake news" and later contending that their critical coverage posed a threat to the nation. The action marked the latest escalation in the administration's contentious relationship with media organizations whose reporting the President views unfavorably.
The news outlets challenged the ban as viewpoint discrimination, arguing that their exclusion from White House grounds violated their First Amendment rights. They characterized the measure as a "blatant violation" of constitutional protections for press freedom.
Judge Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, heard arguments Wednesday before issuing his decision Thursday. In a similar 2018 case involving a CNN journalist, Kelly had previously ordered the restoration of press credentials, signaling his precedent on such matters.