A federal judge on Thursday ruled that US President Donald Trump’s media ban on journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico was likely unlawful and ordered his administration to allow them back into the White House.
US District Judge Tim Kelly issued the ruling in a case filed by the news organisations to challenge the ban Trump announced on September 18. The decision dealt a significant blow to Trump in one of his major disputes with the media.
Kelly barred government personnel from enforcing the restriction for 14 days and ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore the outlets’ press access. The administration argued that national security concerns justified the ban, but Kelly rejected the argument.
“The record lacks factual support for defendants’ contention that the revocation of plaintiffs’ hard passes will in fact protect national security or that national security will be endangered if the court orders their passes reinstated while this litigation proceeds,” he said, adding that Trump himself had stated the ban was due to “alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity” of the outlets’ reporting.
During a Wednesday hearing, Judge Kelly stated that two rulings from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit establish that journalists possess a due process right prior to the revocation of their White House press credentials.
The judge further noted that the White House did not appear to afford the affected news organizations a meaningful opportunity to challenge the revocation of their access.
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Backstory…
On September 19, U.S. President Donald Trump announced an immediate media ban, barring CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from accessing the White House.
Posting on Truth Social on Friday, Trump voiced dissatisfaction with the media organizations’ coverage of his administration.
“I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW … and Politico … from the White House as a result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” Trump wrote.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America. Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
When questioned later on Friday regarding his statement that other publications “should follow,” Trump categorized The Washington Post and The New York Times as “fake news.”
Read Also: Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW, Politico From White House, Threatens More Outlets
