White House ban on three media outlets blocked by judge

Updated / Thursday, Getty CNN, MS NOW and Politico had been banned from the grounds of the White House (file image) A federal judge has ordered US President Donald Trump to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying his ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional. In a major setback for Mr Trump in one of his biggest battles with the media, US District Judge Tim Kelly issued his order in a lawsuit that the news organisations filed, contesting the ban that the Republican president announced on 18 September. Judge Kelly ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the outlets' press passes and blocked officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days. The judge rejected the White House's assertion that the ban was motivated . "The record lacks factual support for defendants' contention that the revocation of plaintiffs’ hard passes will in fact protect national security or that national security will be endangered if the court orders their passes reinstated while this litigation proceeds," he said, adding that Mr Trump himself had stated the ban was due to "alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity" of the outlets' reporting. The White House and representatives for the outlets did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Mr Trump had said on social media that the three outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES," and Justice Department lawyers had sought to justify the ban on national security grounds. The three outlets sued Mr Trump and other members of his administration in federal court in Washington on Monday, saying the ban violated the US Constitution's First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press, as well as their due process rights. They had requested a temporary restraining order that would immediately reinstate their White House access while their legal challenge plays out. A poster seen near the Press Briefing Room of the White House The legal battle has unfolded just weeks before the 3 November midterm elections in which Mr Trump's fellow Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress. The President's job approval ratings are at record lows in opinion polls, amid concerns over issues such as the Iran war and inflation. Judge Kelly said yesterday that two precedents from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit made clear that journalists are entitled to due process before their White House press passes can be revoked.