U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a preliminary injunction giving POLITICO, CNN and MS NOW continued access to the White House complex while litigation plays out.
The judge said President Trump’s revocation of hard passes held by 78 reporters likely violated due process because the media outlets were not given advance notice that concerns over their reporting could jeopardize White House access.
Kelly also said Trump’s comments about the reporting of the three news organizations showed a likely causal link to the revocation of their hard passes and that the ban likely amounted to retaliation and viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.
The judge also rejected the White House’s national security claims, writing that there was just about no evidence in the record to explain or justify the ban from a national security perspective.
