Judge orders Trump White House to restore access to CNN, MS Now and Politico

CNN and MS Now journalists were denied access to a White House state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping despite a federal judge's order mandating the Trump administration to restore their press credentials. Earlier, Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the administration had violated due process by revoking the hard passes of journalists from CNN, MS Now, and Politico without adequate notice or opportunity to be heard. The White House had initially banned the outlets, citing what it termed negative coverage and the publication of sensitive information. While the judge ordered a 14-day reinstatement of access, reports indicate that reporters were still being turned away or having their credentials confiscated following the ruling. The White House claimed the operations team worked to reinstate badges, but affected news organizations faced continued obstruction. During the state dinner, CNN was restricted to minimal technical staff, excluding its editorial team, while other reporters were barred entirely. In solidarity with the affected networks, major US broadcast outlets refrained from providing live coverage of the event. The legal conflict remains ongoing, as the Trump administration has indicated plans to appeal the court's decision. Judge Kelly expressed skepticism regarding the administration's stated national security motivations for the ban, noting that the president's own comments suggested the actions were content-based. An expedited hearing for a preliminary injunction is scheduled to address these press freedom concerns further.