U.S. Federal Judge Rules: White House Must Temporarily Restore Press Credentials for CNN and Two Other Media Outlets

U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly in Washington, D.C., has issued a temporary restraining order requiring the Trump administration to immediately restore White House press credentials for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.

The case originated when President Trump posted on social media on September 18, criticizing these outlets for continuously reporting "fiction and lies," and warning that other media might also face blacklisting. Subsequently, the White House Press Office sent letters accusing the named media organizations of "spreading provably false information about national security." U.S. Department of Justice attorneys argued in court that "access to the White House press corps is a privilege, not a right," attempting to justify the blacklisting under national security grounds.

In response, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a lawsuit alleging that the government's actions constituted "blatant viewpoint-based discrimination," severely violating the First Amendment protections of press freedom guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution, and also breaching the due process requirements outlined in the Fifth Amendment.

Dozens of media organizations, including The Washington Post and Fox News, submitted amicus briefs in support, emphasizing that "depriving reporters and news organizations of access based on perceived editorial viewpoints violates decades of Supreme Court precedent."

Judge Kelly ruled that the news organizations had already crossed the "high threshold" of demonstrating a strong likelihood of success on the merits. He stated that the government's national security rationale was "almost entirely unsupported by evidence." In his opinion, Judge Kelly wrote: "Plaintiffs and the public have a sustained interest in maintaining the status quo, which stems from the importance of press freedom."

Additionally, he emphasized that journalists are legally entitled to "prior notice and an opportunity to respond" before their press credentials are revoked.