Arab News | US judge orders White House reinstate access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico

Washington: The Trump administration must immediately reinstate White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, a US federal judge ordered Thursday, after their reporters were banned from the premises.

President Donald Trump barred the outlets from the White House on Friday as punishment for distributing what he branded as “fake news” and “fiction and lies.”

CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a joint lawsuit asking for a temporary restraining order against the ban on the grounds that it violates the First Amendment of the US Constitution, which upholds the right to a free press.

Judge Timothy Kelly found that the revocation of press passes “likely violated their constitutional due process rights,” according to the ruling.

“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.

The billionaire former reality TV star has long attacked media outlets that have aired critical coverage of his campaigns and administrations, repeatedly blasting the press as the “enemy of the people.”

The ban comes at a time when his approval ratings are at record lows, his Republican Party risks losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections, and the US-Iran war drags on with no end in sight.