Judge gives Trump deadline to explain White House credential denials despite court order

A federal judge has ordered Donald Trump to explain by 12:30 p.m. ET Thursday why White House credentials remain denied to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, despite a court order to restore them. The outlets alerted Judge Timothy Kelly to the continued denial hours after he issued a temporary restraining order. The judge ruled that Trump’s ban on the outlets violated due process and required immediate restoration of their hard passes to the White House complex. The denial persisted as Trump greeted Chinese President Xi Jinping, with no video images of the moment because CNN was removed from the TV pool Monday, prompting CBS, NBC, ABC, and Fox News to suspend participation in protest. Bruce D. Brown, president of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, called the ruling “an important win for the American public,” citing irreparable harm to the targeted outlets and the broader press corps. He stressed that the next critical step is ensuring the administration honors the injunction and the rule of law.