Judge orders Trump to restore White House access to three media outlets

A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after reporters from the outlets were barred from the premises.

President Donald Trump had banned the outlets from the White House on Friday, accusing them of distributing what he described as “fake news” and “fiction and lies.”

CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently filed a joint lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order against the ban, arguing that it violated the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which protects press freedom.

Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the revocation of the outlets’ press passes “likely violated their constitutional due process rights.”

“The ‘general rule’ is that ‘individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them’ of a constitutionally protected interest,” Kelly wrote.

Trump has a long history of criticising media outlets over coverage of his campaigns and administrations, and has repeatedly referred to the press as the “enemy of the people.”

The latest ban came amid growing political challenges for the Trump administration, including low approval ratings, the possibility of Republicans losing control of Congress in the November midterm elections and the ongoing US-Iran war.