Politico, CNN, MS NOW regain White House access after brief standoff

Hours after being barred from the White House despite a federal judge's order restoring their access, reporters from Politico, MS NOW and CNN were granted entry on Thursday.

The reporters had initially been turned away just hours after US District Judge Tim Kelly blocked President Donald Trump's ban on the three outlets for 14 days and ordered the administration to immediately restore their press credentials.

Kelly said the journalists were likely to succeed in showing that the revocation of their White House access had violated their constitutional due process rights.

The initial denial of entry raised questions over whether the White House was deliberately failing to comply with the court order or whether the problem was linked to the White House entry system.

Politico said one of its reporters was barred from entering the White House and had their credentials confiscated. MS NOW also said its reporter was blocked from the complex, while CNN said some of its staff members were denied entry.

The three outlets then filed an emergency request for a hearing Thursday morning after their reporters were refused access despite the judge’s order. Later in the day, all three said they had been granted access to the White House.

US JUDGE SAYS BAN LIKELY UNCONSTITUTIONAL

Kelly's ruling was a major setback for the Trump administration in its latest confrontation with news organisations whose coverage the president has criticised.

The judge said the record did not provide adequate support for the administration's argument that removing the journalists' hard passes was necessary for national security. He also pointed to Trump's own public explanation for the ban, which focused on what the US President described as the outlets' lack of truthfulness and negative reporting.

Kelly also found that the journalists appeared to have been denied the procedural protections required before their White House access could be revoked. During Wednesday's hearing, he cited previous federal appeals court rulings that established due process protections for journalists holding White House press passes.

The judge's temporary restraining order requires the administration to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" the credentials and remains in effect for 14 days unless the court changes it.

TRUMP HAD CALLED REPORTING 'FICTION AND LIES'

Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing CNN, MS NOW and Politico of producing what he called "fake news".

The US President said the three outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES".

The outlets responded by taking the dispute to federal court on Monday. They argued that the administration had violated their First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and the press, as well as their due process rights.

The US Justice Department defended the administration's action, arguing that access to the White House is a privilege rather than an entitlement. Government lawyers also cited national security concerns and alleged failures to meet standards of professionalism and decorum.

The judge, however, expressed scepticism about the national security justification. He noted that the administration's letters explaining the revocation were sent only after the credentials had already been taken away and after the lawsuit had been filed.

PRESS GROUPS BACK NEWS OUTLETS

The legal fight has drawn support from a broad coalition of media organisations and press freedom groups.

A coalition including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reuters, The Washington Post and Fox News filed a brief supporting CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The groups argued that removing journalists' access because of their perceived editorial viewpoint conflicts with established Supreme Court precedent.

The White House has not immediately commented on the reporters being denied entry after Kelly's order. The Justice Department is expected to challenge the ruling.