Key facts
- US President Donald Trump's administration restored White House press credentials to CNN, Politico, and MS NOW.
- US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary order reinstating the outlets' access for 14 days.
- The judge ruled that the outlets were likely to succeed on their claim that their due process rights were violated.
- The outlets' lawyer warned that the administration could attempt to revoke access again through a more formal process.
- The Justice Department accused the outlets of threatening national security with their coverage.
The Trump administration complied with a judge's order to restore White House press credentials to CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, which had been banned the previous week. US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary order on Thursday, reinstating the outlets' access for 14 days while their legal challenge proceeds. Kelly, a Trump-appointed judge, stated that legal precedents indicate journalists with White House press credentials have a right to "notice and an opportunity to be heard" before revocation. He found the outlets were likely to succeed on their claim that this due process right was violated. However, Kelly did not rule on the outlets' First Amendment claims regarding freedom of speech and the press, deeming it unnecessary for the temporary order. The judge set a September 28 deadline for the outlets to request a preliminary injunction, which would extend the block on the ban for the duration of the case. The administration could appeal an injunction to a federal appeals court. Trump had previously vowed an appeal, citing the outlets' coverage as "fiction and lies." The Justice Department argued in a filing that the outlets' reporting on topics like US missile stockpiles and White House construction threatened national security. Theodore Boutrous, a lawyer for the outlets, expressed concern that the administration might attempt to revoke access again through a more formal process, drawing a parallel to a previous attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook. Boutrous indicated that the First Amendment arguments would become central in the coming weeks, anticipating the government would try to justify its national security claims.