US Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico

Court blocks Trump’s ban on CNN, MSNBC and Politico

A US federal court has ordered Donald Trump’s administration to restore access to the White House for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Judge Tim Kelly ruled that the president’s decision was likely unconstitutional and barred the administration from implementing it for 14 days.

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Trump announced the ban on 18 September, accusing the three media organisations of spreading ‘fake news’. Shortly afterwards, the journalists had their press passes revoked and were barred from the White House grounds. CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a joint lawsuit, claiming that the administration had violated the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which protects freedom of speech and of the press, and had deprived them of the opportunity to challenge the decision, according to Reuters.

In court, the administration attempted to justify the ban on the grounds of national security. However, in Judge Kelly’s view, the evidence presented did not confirm that the presence of journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico posed a security threat. The judge also noted that the official explanations for the ban were sent to the media organisations only after the lawsuit had been filed.

The conflict quickly expanded beyond a dispute between the White House and the three news organisations. A significant portion of the American media market effectively joined the lawsuit: organisations defending press freedom, as well as dozens of media outlets, spoke out in support of CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Among those who signed the joint statement were Reuters, The Washington Post and Fox News.

The ban also hit the White House television pool. Following CNN’s exclusion from the rotation, four other major television networks – ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News – refused to cover certain events involving Trump as a sign of solidarity. The White House television pool involves collaboration between several television channels: journalists take turns gaining access to the President’s events and share their footage with other media organisations.

Kelly’s decision does not yet put an end to the dispute: it is in force for 14 days, whilst the main legal proceedings will continue.

This story was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence.The translation was also reviewed by the Logos Press editorial team.

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