White House denies access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico despite court order restoring press credentials

On Thursday, the White House denied access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, even though hours earlier a federal judge had ordered the immediate restoration of the press credentials that had been revoked from the three media outlets.

"This morning, journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico attempted to enter the White House and were turned away," the media outlets stated in a filing submitted to the court, in which they requested an emergency hearing to address the failure to comply with the order, according to CBS News.

Federal Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia had granted a 14-day temporary restraining order in the case after the media outlets sued the administration over the revocation of their press credentials.

Kelly ordered the defendants—with the exception of President Donald Trump—to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" the permanent press passes of the affected journalists.

The judge concluded that the plaintiffs had demonstrated a sufficient likelihood of success in their argument that the revocation of the credentials occurred without due process, as they had not previously received notice or been given the opportunity to respond to the action.

On September 18, Trump announced a ban on access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which he accused of spreading "fake news." The three media outlets subsequently filed a lawsuit alleging that the measure constituted retaliation for their coverage and violated First and Fifth Amendment protections.

The White House cited national security concerns

During the proceedings, the Department of Justice maintained that "access to the White House is a privilege, not a right" and argued that the president has broad authority to control journalists' access to restricted areas.

The administration also defended the decision by citing national security concerns related to media reports on the war with Iran and on construction of the new White House ballroom.

Kelly, however, expressed doubts about that argument and noted that, based on the evidence presented so far, it was not clear that protecting national security had actually been the reason for revoking the credentials.

The standoff has also sparked a reaction among other media outlets. CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox suspended their usual participation in certain joint White House press pools, while dozens of news organizations filed an amicus curiae brief in support of the three plaintiffs.

Meanwhile, the White House launched Trump TV this week—a 24/7 channel designed to broadcast speeches, videos and content from the administration. The existence of the new service is confirmed on the White House's own official website.