US judge extends White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico

WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has extended White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that President Donald Trump likely acted unlawfully when he sought to bar them from the White House.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a written decision on Tuesday elaborating on an emergency order he made on September 24, which restored access for the journalists.

The news organisations and press freedom groups have accused Trump of unconstitutionally retaliating against journalists over coverage he dislikes.

Kelly’s order last month gave the CNN, MS NOW, and Politico journalists access to the White House grounds on a temporary basis. The judge issued an order called a permanent injunction on Tuesday that will remain in effect until he makes a final judgment in the lawsuit brought by the news organizations, unless an appeals court lifts his order.

Campaign against media

Past presidents have battled with the press, but Trump’s campaign against the media has been unprecedented. He has upended decades of tradition by ​denying basic access to many major news organizations, launching personal attacks on journalists for their reporting and elevating media outlets seen as more sympathetic to ​the administration. He also has filed lawsuits against multiple news outlets.

Trump announced the ban in September on his social media platform, saying CNN, Politico, and MS NOW “shouldn’t be able to ‌constantly write ⁠or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States.” The Justice Department has emphasised Trump’s contention that the ban is legally justified on national security ground.

The outlets have said the revocation of their White House passes was unlawful retaliation for their news coverage and accused the Trump administration of manufacturing meritless national security concerns to justify the ban.

The outlets said in a lawsuit that the ban violated the US Constitution’s First Amendment protections ​for freedom of speech and a free ​press, as well as their ⁠rights to due process, meaning fair treatment from the government.

The White House on September 24 reinstated the CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists after Kelly decided the ban “likely violated their constitutional due process rights,” and ordered their access immediately restored.

‘Coerce better coverage’

The judge held a hearing on October 8 to hear arguments by the news outlets and the Justice ​Department over whether to ⁠extend the protection for the journalists against being barred from the White House. The Justice Department defended the bans as fair and justified.

“Here we have the unusual situation where the president himself has said he wants to chill speech. He wants to coerce better coverage,” Theodore Boutrous, an attorney for the outlets, told Kelly ⁠during the hearing.

“CNN, ​MS NOW and Politico engaged in apparently indefensible conduct,” Justice Department lawyer Michael Velchik said.

The ​legal battle is being waged just weeks before the November 3 US midterm elections in which Trump’s fellow Republicans are fighting to retain control of Congress. Trump’s job approval ratings are at ​record lows in opinion polls amid concerns over issues such as inflation and the Iran war.