CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters have regained access to the White House after a federal judge ruled that their exclusion by US President Donald Trump likely violated their constitutional rights.
The three news organisations were allowed back into the White House on Thursday, six days after the Trump administration barred them from the premises.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the decision to revoke their White House press credentials “likely violated their constitutional due process rights.”
The reporters were initially stopped by Secret Service agents when they attempted to enter the White House ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit. They were later allowed inside around midday.
Other journalists gathered around CNN’s tent on the White House driveway to welcome the network’s reporter, Betsy Klein, when she returned and began reporting live.
“Welcome back,” some of the journalists were heard saying.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico had sought an urgent court hearing after their reporters were initially denied entry despite Kelly’s ruling.
In his decision, Kelly questioned the process used by the White House to remove the news organisations.
“The ‘general rule’ is that ‘individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them’ of a constitutionally protected interest,” the judge said.
Trump has repeatedly criticised media organisations that publish reports critical of his administration, often referring to the press as the “enemy of the people.”
The three outlets were barred from the White House on Friday after Trump accused them of publishing “fake news” and “fiction and lies.”
The organisations subsequently filed a joint lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects freedom of the press.
Before the ruling, the US Department of Justice argued that Trump had the authority to “control reporters’ access to restricted presidential areas, such as the Oval Office.”
The department also maintained that “Access to the White House is a privilege — not a right.”
The White House Press Office separately accused CNN of publishing what it called “verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information.” Similar accusations were made against MS NOW and Politico.
The White House cited reports concerning the US-Iran war and an article about Trump’s proposed military bunker beneath the planned East Wing ballroom, which it alleged had revealed “top-secret” construction details.
However, Kelly questioned whether national security concerns were the real reason for withdrawing the outlets’ press credentials.
“The Court is sceptical — at least on this record — that Defendants’ interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation for, or is even advanced by, the revocation of Plaintiffs’ hard passes,” he said.
In a separate show of support for CNN, the five major US broadcasters — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC — temporarily stopped participating in White House press pool coverage.
The broadcasters said the public had an important interest in receiving independent information about the government.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting,” they said.
