US judge leaves Trump administration’s media ban in place for now

A federal judge in Washington declined to immediately rule on whether CNN, MS NOW and Politico should regain access to the White House after President Donald Trump's administration barred them. District Judge Timothy Kelly heard arguments on the outlets' request for a temporary restraining order while their broader legal challenge, filed Monday, proceeds, but he did not indicate when he would decide, according to Al Jazeera.

Justice Department lawyers told the court that White House access is "a privilege — not a right" and said the outlets had fallen short of standards of professionalism and decorum. Letters sent to the three organizations accused them of publishing classified or sensitive material, pointing to CNN's coverage of construction details for a bunker under the East Wing, MS NOW's reporting on how the Iran war affected US military munitions, and Politico's stories on White House ballroom funding and Secret Service security upgrades, as well as its use of anonymous sources describing a Republican midterm convention as a "disaster." The administration is also seeking to overturn the 1977 Sherrill vs Knight ruling protecting press access from arbitrary denial. The outlets argue the ban violates their First Amendment rights.

Katie Fallow of the Knight First Amendment Institute called the case historic, saying no president has taken so explicit a step to exclude outlets over their coverage. Kelly, a Trump appointee who once restored CNN reporter Jim Acosta's credentials, drew public criticism from Trump on Truth Social, who predicted an appeal regardless of the outcome.

Summarized by PolitiKool from Al Jazeera’s reporting. Read the full story at Al Jazeera →