Trump bars three news outlets

President Donald Trump revoked hard-pass press credentials for CNN, Politico and MS NOW on September 18, barring reporters from the White House grounds.

Judge grants emergency restraining order

On September 24, federal Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to immediately restore the three outlets' hard-pass press credentials.

Outlets denied entry, then restored

The three news organizations were denied entry to the White House earlier Thursday. By nine fifty-five am, the White House declared access had been restored. Around noon, reporters began returning to the grounds.

Judge questions national security claim

Judge Kelly expressed skepticism about the Trump administration's argument that the stories it cited as justification raised national security concerns, describing them as routine.

“Nothing in the record that predates this suit suggests that the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes was motivated by national security concerns.”

Trump cited truthfulness, not security

When announcing the ban, President Trump focused on the alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity of the outlets' reporting, not national security concerns as the administration later claimed.

Judge finds process violated

Judge Kelly found the White House failed to follow the process established by earlier court cases to terminate a reporter's credential, calling the procedure arbitrary and irrational.

“It's not due process when there's been a prejudgment of the issue. Clearly, that's happened.”

Credentials restored pending further ruling

CNN reporter Betsy Klein and MS NOW correspondent Laura Barrón-López returned to the White House grounds Thursday afternoon with restored credentials. The case continues before Judge Kelly.