WASHINGTON: Trump White House press ban faced a legal challenge on Wednesday as a federal judge heard arguments over whether CNN, MS NOW and Politico should regain access to the White House.
The three news organisations have asked US District Judge Timothy Kelly to temporarily restore their White House access while their lawsuit proceeds. They argue that the ban violates First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and a free press, as well as their due process rights.
Trump White House Press Ban Challenged in Federal Court
During the hearing in Washington, Judge Timothy Kelly said two precedents from the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit indicate that journalists are entitled to due process before their White House press credentials can be revoked.
Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, also said it appeared the White House had not provided the three outlets with a meaningful opportunity to challenge the decision.
An attorney representing CNN, MS NOW and Politico told the court that the organisations were barred without advance notice or an opportunity to contest the decision.
The Justice Department argued that access to the White House is a privilege rather than an entitlement and maintained that the president has authority to suspend access by news organisations. The department also cited national security concerns related to coverage by the outlets.
Trump announced the ban on Friday on his social media platform, accusing the organisations of reporting what he described as “FICTION and LIES” about the president.
Major US Networks Suspend Pooled Coverage
In a show of solidarity, major US television networks suspended pooled coverage of Trump’s movements on Monday. The move disrupted a decades-old system that provides television coverage of the president’s public activities.
Free speech experts have questioned the legal basis of the restrictions, arguing that courts have historically limited the government’s ability to condition press access on favourable coverage.
In a 2018 case involving CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, Judge Kelly ordered the White House to restore Acosta’s press credentials after ruling that the administration had not followed fair and clear procedures.
A coalition of press freedom organisations and news outlets, including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reuters, The Washington Post and Fox News, filed a brief supporting the three organisations.
The legal dispute comes amid broader tensions between the Trump administration and several major US news organisations over press access and media coverage.
