Play store
A US federal judge has temporarily suspended President Donald Trump’s restrictions preventing journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from entering the White House.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the order on Thursday, ruling that the journalists’ press credentials must be restored immediately. He said the Trump administration’s action could violate the US Constitution, according to Reuters.
Trump imposed the restrictions on September 18, prompting the three media organisations to jointly challenge the decision in court.
During the hearing, Judge Kelly said the government had failed to provide concrete evidence to support its claim that the restrictions were based on national security concerns. The court also found evidence suggesting that the outlets’ critical coverage of Trump was a factor in the decision.
The judge ordered the restrictions to remain suspended for 14 days.
The Justice Department had argued that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a legal right and could therefore be suspended by the president. The court rejected the argument, saying press credentials could not be abruptly revoked without giving journalists an opportunity to respond.
Reuters, The Washington Post, Fox News and other major media organisations supported CNN and Politico in the legal challenge. Source: Reuters.