Against the Constitution: Federal Judge Overturns Trump Administration White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico

United States District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered President Donald Trump on Thursday to restore White House press credentials for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, ruling the administration's ban unconstitutional.

The emergency ruling forces the White House to reinstate hard passes for reporters from all three news organisations after Secret Service personnel revoked their access following an executive directive.

Court Finds First Amendment Violation

US District Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee from Trump's first presidential term, issued a preliminary injunction blocking the administration from enforcing the restrictions. The judge concluded that stripping journalists of their credentials based on editorial viewpoints violated constitutional protections guaranteed under the First Amendment.

The court rejected Justice Department arguments claiming the executive branch maintains absolute discretion over access to White House grounds. Judge Kelly noted that while the administration is not required to grant credentials to every applicant, established legal precedents prohibit revoking existing access without due process or as punishment for critical coverage.

The Justice Department attempted to justify the credentials revocation in letters dispatched to the media companies on Tuesday, days after reporters had their hard passes collected by security personnel. Judge Kelly expressed skepticism regarding the post-hoc rationale, highlighting that official notices were issued only after the news outlets initiated joint legal action.

News Outlets Challenge Executive Order

The legal battle began after President Trump announced on social media that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would be barred from the White House, accusing the outlets of publishing false reports regarding his administration. Secret Service agents subsequently confiscated press passes from journalists, including Akayla Gardner of MS NOW, Betsy Klein of CNN, and Cheyenne Haslett of Politico, as they attempted to enter the complex.

The three media organisations filed a joint federal lawsuit against Donald Trump, White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, and Secret Service Director Sean Curran.

A broad coalition of press freedom advocates and news entities—including Reuters, The Washington Post, and Fox News—filed supporting briefs with the court. The media group asserted that excluding journalists based on perceived editorial hostility undermined fundamental constitutional standards governing press access to public officials.

Administration Signals Plan to Appeal Ruling

The White House defended its actions by maintaining that presidential press access remains a privilege rather than an absolute legal right. Justice Department attorneys argued that the executive branch retained full authority to restrict entry to non-public areas of the White House complex.

Donald Trump publicly anticipated an adverse court decision prior to the ruling, writing on social media that his administration would challenge any injunction in appellate courts.

The temporary restraining order requires immediate restoration of hard passes, allowing reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico to resume daily coverage inside the White House briefing room and accompany the president on travel pools while the broader lawsuit proceeds through federal court.