- Federal judge restored White House access for specific journalists.
- Journalists initially denied access, prompting judge’s quick intervention.
- MS NOW journalists restored access, judge cited due process.
Under a federal judge’s order, the Trump administration restored White House access Thursday to journalists from MS NOW and CNN after their press passes were revoked following President Donald Trump’s criticism of the outlets’ coverage.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration early Thursday to temporarily restore access for journalists from MS NOW, CNN and Politico while litigation over the matter continues.
Journalists Initially Denied Access
Despite the overnight ruling, MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and a producer were initially denied entry and had their passes confiscated when they arrived at the White House early Thursday. Another MS NOW producer was allowed inside.
Politico also reported that at least one of its reporters was blocked, while CNN said some of its staffers were denied access, although at least one was allowed to enter.
MS NOW, CNN and Politico subsequently filed a notice of noncompliance, asking Kelly to hold an immediate hearing. The judge directed the Trump administration to respond by 12:30 pm Thursday.
MS NOW Reporters Allowed Back In
Less than an hour before the deadline, MS NOW journalists whose passes had been confiscated by the US Secret Service were allowed back onto the White House grounds.
Barrón-López said on air that she was allowed to re-enter through the northwest gate after showing her government ID and having her press badge returned.
“I was just allowed back into the White House through the northwest gate,” Barrón-López said. “They first cleared me through that outer perimeter, and then I arrived at the northwest gate, showed my government ID again, and was returned my badge.”
It was not immediately clear whether Politico’s White House team had also had its passes reinstated.
Judge Cites Due Process Concerns
Under Kelly’s order, reporters from MS NOW, CNN and Politico were to regain access to the White House campus for at least 14 days. The judge granted the request on due process grounds and indicated in his order that the ban was likely unconstitutional.
The White House and the US Secret Service had not immediately responded to requests for comment.
Judge Previously Ruled In CNN Press Access Case
Kelly previously handled a similar dispute involving CNN during Trump’s first administration. In November 2018, he ordered the White House to temporarily restore the press credentials of then-CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta after his access was revoked following a contentious news conference.
CNN had sued the administration over the decision. The White House subsequently indicated it was considering suspending Acosta’s hard pass, but later agreed to permanently restore his press credentials.
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