WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration must immediately reinstate White House access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, a US federal judge ordered on Thursday, after their reporters were banned from the premises.
President Donald Trump barred the outlets from the White House on Friday as punishment for distributing what he branded as “fake news” and “fiction and lies.” The ban prevented their reporters from accessing the White House press briefing room, the Oval Office, and other areas normally open to accredited journalists.
The ruling, issued by Judge Rudolph Contreras of the US District Court for the District of Columbia, granted a preliminary injunction sought by the three news organisations, which had challenged the ban on First Amendment grounds. The judge ruled that the ban likely violated their constitutional rights and caused irreparable harm to the news organisations.
“The plaintiffs have shown that the ban is likely a content-based restriction on speech that violates the First Amendment. The defendants have not demonstrated that the ban is narrowly tailored to serve a compelling government interest,” Contreras wrote in his ruling.
The judge rejected the administration’s argument that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right, noting that while there is no absolute right to access, the government cannot selectively exclude journalists based on their viewpoints or reporting.
“The First Amendment does not permit the government to use its control over access to the White House as a weapon to punish or silence news organisations whose reporting it dislikes,” Contreras stated.
The White House said it would appeal the decision, describing it as “an overreach by a judicial activist.” Press Secretary Davis Ingle said the administration would continue to “protect the integrity of the White House press corps” and would not allow “biased outlets to spread misinformation.”
But the news organisations welcomed the ruling, describing it as a victory for press freedom. CNN’s chief legal correspondent said the decision reaffirmed the principle that the government cannot pick and choose which journalists are allowed to cover it.
“This is a win for the First Amendment and for the American people’s right to know. The White House cannot silence the press simply because it does not like what is being reported,” the correspondent said.
The ruling is the latest in a series of legal battles between the Trump administration and the news media. Since taking office, President Trump has repeatedly attacked the press, calling journalists the “enemy of the people” and threatening to revoke the credentials of outlets that report unfavourably on him. His administration has also taken steps to limit press access, including reducing the number of reporters allowed in the briefing room and ending the traditional daily press briefing.
Press freedom advocates have expressed concern about the growing threats to journalism in the United States, noting that the White House ban was part of a broader pattern of hostility toward the media. The Committee to Protect Journalists said the ruling was a “welcome rebuke” to the administration’s attempts to weaponise press access.
“The White House cannot use its power to punish journalists for doing their jobs. Today’s ruling is a reminder that the First Amendment applies to everyone, including the President of the United States,” the organisation said.
The case is expected to continue in the coming weeks, with the administration’s appeal likely to be heard by the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. For now, however, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have regained their access to the White House, and their reporters are back on the job.
