Judge blocks Trump White House media ban, orders CNN and others restored

A federal judge ordered President Donald Trump on Thursday to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying his ban on the three media outlets was likely to be unconstitutional. The order is a major setback for Trump in his battle with the media. US District Judge Tim Kelly issued the order in a lawsuit filed by the news organizations contesting the ban announced on September 18. He ordered the immediate return of press passes and blocked enforcement of the ban for 14 days, rejecting the government's national security justification. The judge noted Trump himself had cited the outlets' "alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity" as the reason for the ban. The legal battle comes weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, with press freedom groups and dozens of news organizations supporting the outlets.