US District Judge Tim Kelly issued the order Thursday after CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a lawsuit on Monday, claiming the ban violated the First Amendment. Trump had posted on X that the outlets "shouldn't be able to write or report fiction and lies," a statement the judge found unsupported by any national‑security evidence.
Kelly cited two precedents from the D.C. Circuit that protect journalists’ due process rights, noting that the White House had not given the outlets a meaningful chance to contest the revocation. He declared the revocation without notice "unprecedented, unreasonable, and severe," and rejected the administration’s claim that the ban was a privilege rather than an entitlement.
The ruling allows the three outlets to resume White House coverage immediately. A senior CNN correspondent, who had been barred, said he will return to the press gallery and that the decision feels like a restoration of a fundamental right. The restoration also means that reporters who were suddenly cut off from the White House can now re‑enter the press pool, a relief echoed by many in Washington’s journalism community.
The decision comes weeks before the November 3 midterm elections, when Trump’s approval ratings are at record lows. The White House said it will comply with the judge’s order, while Justice Department lawyers announced they will appeal. A hearing on the case is scheduled for May 15, and the judge will decide whether the ban can be reinstated.
A coalition of press‑freedom groups and dozens of media outlets filed a supportive brief, signed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reuters, the Washington Post and Fox News, arguing that stripping journalists of access for perceived editorial bias violates decades of Supreme Court jurisprudence.
The court’s decision sends a clear message that executive power cannot be used to silence dissenting voices without due process. As the case moves forward, the Trump administration’s next move will be closely watched by both lawmakers and the public, with the possibility of an appeal looming.