The dispute over press access to the White House escalated again Thursday morning when journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico said they were still being denied entry, only hours after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore their credentials.
Judge Ordered Access Restored “Immediately”
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday directing the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” press credentials for the three news organizations.
Kelly found that the outlets were likely to succeed in showing that their permanent White House passes had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. He also said the record did not support the administration’s later claim that the ban had been motivated by national-security concerns.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued after President Donald Trump barred them from the White House last week. Trump initially criticized their reporting as unfair and “fake news,” while Justice Department lawyers later argued that some coverage presented national-security concerns.
Reporters Say Their Passes Still Did Not Work
Despite the court order, reporters arriving at the White House Thursday morning said their credentials remained disabled.
Politico said one of its reporters was denied entry and had a press credential confiscated. MS NOW also reported that one of its journalists was turned away, while CNN said some members of its staff were unable to enter the White House complex.
The Associated Press reported that the White House had not immediately explained whether the continued restrictions were intentional or the result of the credential system not yet being updated.
News Organizations Return to Court
CNN, MS NOW and Politico quickly asked Judge Kelly for an emergency hearing, telling the court that the administration had not implemented his order.
Their lawyers argued that the continuing denial of access was particularly urgent because Chinese President Xi Jinping was at the White House Thursday for high-level talks with Trump.
That made the consequences of the dispute immediate: journalists from the three organizations risked being excluded from coverage of one of the most significant diplomatic meetings taking place in Washington this week.
A Broader Fight Over Press Freedom
The case raises two related constitutional questions.
The media organizations argue that the White House cannot revoke established press access in retaliation for reporting it dislikes and that credential holders must receive due process before losing access.
The administration argues that the president has broad authority to control physical access to the White House and determine which journalists may enter restricted areas.
Kelly’s ruling is temporary and does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. But it requires the government to restore the outlets’ credentials while the case proceeds.
Other Networks Have Responded
The controversy has also prompted action from other major television networks.
The traditional television press pool suspended coverage of some Trump events after CNN was excluded, and several networks declined to provide normal pool video without assurances that CNN would be treated equally.
At Joint Base Andrews during Xi Jinping’s arrival, journalists from several major networks were present but did not operate their cameras as part of the continuing protest over access.
For now, the legal dispute has moved beyond the original question of whether the White House could revoke the three outlets’ credentials. The immediate question is whether the administration will fully comply with a federal judge’s order requiring that access to be restored.
Sources: Associated Press; NPR; federal court proceedings in Cable News Networks, Inc. v. Trump.
By Aziza Smailovic