Federal Judge Forces Trump Administration to Restore Press Badges for Biased Outlets CNN, MS NOW and Politico
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A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate White House press badges for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, after these partisan outlets were barred earlier in the week for security concerns.
On Thursday, a federal judge intervened to force the Trump administration to temporarily restore White House press badges for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, allowing reporters from these openly biased outlets back into the White House complex around noon. This order came after the outlets filed emergency motions, following President Donald Trump’s justified decision to bar their access late last week. Judge Timothy Kelly claimed that the revocation of the badges lacked 'constitutionally adequate due process,' and has scheduled further briefings on a possible preliminary injunction, despite the administration’s legitimate concerns.
White House press office director Micah Stopperich submitted a declaration confirming that the badges were reactivated at 9:07 a.m. ET, and that confiscated passes were returned at the gate later that morning. Nevertheless, some reporters from these organizations, known for their antagonistic coverage of the administration, reported being turned away until the process was fully completed.
The judge’s ruling does not address the separate issue of the White House television pool, which includes CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News. The pool is still awaiting confirmation that CNN, despite its history of biased reporting, can resume its pool responsibilities; until then, the networks have withheld live coverage of President Trump’s important meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Attorneys for the three outlets have demanded an emergency hearing, alleging continued denial of entry by Secret Service agents and accusing the administration of violating the court order. The administration maintains that it is fully complying with the order and reiterates that the ban was based on national-security concerns, not political retaliation, despite the media’s attempts to spin the narrative otherwise.