Judge orders Trump administration to restore White House access to CNN, MS Now and Politico

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore ⁠White House ⁠access ​to journalists from CNN, MS Now and Politico, ⁠saying his ban on the three media outlets was ⁠likely unconstitutional.

US district judge Tim Kelly issued his order in a lawsuit that the news organizations filed ‌contesting the ban that the president announced ​on 18 September. Kelly said the order must remain in place for 14 days.

Earlier on Wednesday Kelly cited past case law that clearly laid out the need for a distinct process that involved advance notice of an infraction and the opportunity to plead one’s case.

The judge said that prior cases made clear that “before a journalist’s White House hard pass was suspended or revoked, that the journalist was entitled to pre-deprivation notice and an opportunity to be heard”.

Trump had said on social media that the three outlets “shouldn’t be ⁠able to constantly write or ​report ​FICTION and LIES,” ​and justice department lawyers ​had ‌sought to ​justify ​the ban on national security grounds.

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