Judge Delays Ruling on White House Media Ban

A federal judge on Wednesday heard arguments over the Trump administration’s exclusion of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House but did not immediately rule on the outlets’ request to restore access. Judge Timothy Kelly said he would decide as soon as possible, leaving the ban in place while he considers the case. The three news organizations are seeking a temporary restraining order, arguing that the administration barred them because of their reporting and violated First Amendment protections. Their lawyers also argued that the outlets did not receive the process required before their credentials were revoked. The administration disputes that account. Its lawyer told the court that White House access is a privilege and argued that the president may restrict access for national security reasons. In court filings and letters to the outlets, the administration alleged that their reporting violated standards for access by including false claims about national security or publishing sensitive or classified information. Those allegations are the administration’s stated grounds for the ban and have not been established by the court.