CNN, MS NOW, and Politico said they were barred from entering the White House on Thursday, despite a court order issued hours earlier temporarily restoring their access.
The outlets said the White House is not complying with the order and requested an immediate hearing, according to a document filed on Thursday. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly quickly ordered the government to respond by 12:30 p.m., Washington time.
The White House did not immediately respond to comment requests.
Earlier, Kelly had granted the news organizations’ request to restore their access to the White House after the ban imposed by President Donald Trump. The decision temporarily blocks the White House from enforcing the restriction while the lawsuit filed by the outlets proceeds.
Kelly stated in his decision that the news organizations had met the high standard required to show they are likely to prevail on the merits of the action. The judge cited the lack of due process, violations of constitutional freedoms, and the public interest involved.
Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., the outlets’ attorney, celebrated the decision as a victory for “freedom of the press, due process of law, and the rule of law.”
In the latest filing to the Court, the outlets allege that a Secret Service agent confiscated the press credentials of the three organizations as they attempted to enter the White House on Thursday morning. When CNN reporter Betsy Klein asked for the return of her badge, the request was denied, and she was barred from accessing the White House complex, according to the filing.
Trump announced the ban on September 18 via a post on social media, alleging what he described as unfavorable coverage of his administration. He also warned that “other Fake News outlets may soon be banned.” However, the media outlets say they did not receive formal notice of the decision until four days later, through letters sent by the White House.
The letters, submitted to the court, stated that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were barred from accessing the White House for “publishing information demonstrably false about national security and other topics, as well as publishing sensitive or classified information.”
For years, Trump has labeled critical coverage of his administration and policies as “fake news.” The decision to bar the three outlets is the latest episode in a series of steps taken by his administration to restrict media access to events and spaces of public interest.
On Monday, the White House indicated it planned to start publishing coverage of presidential activities on its own site, through what it called “Trump TV: The Essentials Station.”
Dozens of media organizations, including Bloomberg News, Dow Jones, and Reuters, signed an amicus brief filed with the Court in support of the barred outlets.
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