Federal Judge Restores Press Credentials to Major News Outlets
A federal judge has instructed the White House to reinstate press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which interrupts President Donald Trump’s ongoing attempts to hold the mainstream media accountable for what he has criticized as biased reporting.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a temporary restraining order to the three media outlets early Thursday, just a few hours after an emergency hearing regarding their lawsuit, which had been filed on Monday.
The legal action followed the administration’s move to limit access for these organizations. Journalists from all three news outlets reported that their access was restored after experiencing a temporary block or having their credentials confiscated earlier that morning, actions that took place before the judge’s ruling was fully processed.
Judge Kelly, appointed by Trump, determined that the plaintiffs had satisfied the necessary criteria for emergency relief, noting that the administration might not have provided sufficient due process under the Fifth Amendment prior to revoking their passes.
Two key D.C. Circuit cases—Sherrill v. Knight in 1977 and Karem v. Trump in 2020—established that a White House correspondent has a protected interest in obtaining a press pass and that such a pass cannot be revoked without due process or prior notification.
The Trump administration did not contest the fact that reporters were not given prior warning or “an opportunity to be heard” before their press access was terminated. Kelly also pointed out the absence of formally established standards that would allow the White House to deny press access to legitimate Washington correspondents.
This restraining order is a temporary measure that will stay in effect for two weeks while the broader legal questions are considered.
“Plaintiffs — and the public — have an abiding interest in maintaining the status quo ante given the importance of the free press, which ‘stands as one of the great interpreters between the government and the people,’” Kelly explained in his ruling.
