Judge blocks White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico access

A U.S. judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, ordering their access restored early Thursday. The ruling is the latest development in an escalating showdown between Trump and media outlets whose coverage he dislikes. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the outlets’ access, saying they met the legal threshold for a temporary restraining order and were likely to succeed in showing their press passes were revoked without due process. Kelly rejected the White House’s national security justification, calling the standard for revoking passes “so vague it hardly does the trick.” The restraining order is in effect for 14 days pending further court review. The ban prompted other media outlets to suspend coverage of Trump events in solidarity, and an amicus brief was filed by news groups including The AP urging restoration of access.