Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico regained White House access Thursday after a judge ordered the administration to reinstate their credentials.

Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were readmitted to the White House on Thursday afternoon following a federal court order. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly had ruled early Thursday that the administration violated the outlets' Fifth Amendment rights by revoking their credentials. Despite the ruling, journalists from the affected outlets were initially denied entry, prompting them to request an immediate hearing before access was ultimately restored.

Legal Ruling and Administration Response

Judge Kelly, a Trump appointee, granted a 14-day temporary restraining order requiring the administration to restore the reporters' access. In his ruling, Kelly stated the plaintiffs demonstrated a likelihood of success on their procedural due process claims and rejected the administration's argument that the reporting posed a national security risk. The judge noted that the administration's standards for revoking passes were vague and that the initial ban appeared motivated by the content of the coverage rather than security concerns. Following the ruling, the White House faced criticism over a delay in compliance. While the administration stated it was notified of the order at 7:10 a.m. ET and began the process shortly after, reporters were still denied entry hours later. White House press operations director Micah Stopperich stated that confiscated badges were made available for pickup starting between 9:45 a.m. and 9:55 a.m. ET.

Context of the Press Ban

President Trump announced the ban on the three outlets last week, citing what he termed "fake news" and later claiming their reporting posed a risk to national security. In response, the news organizations filed a lawsuit alleging violations of their First Amendment rights. Other media outlets joined in solidarity, with the rotating television press pool suspending video and photo distribution until the credentials were reinstated. The dispute occurred amid preparations for a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, leaving uncertainty regarding which outlets would manage pool coverage for the event.