Fed Judge: Remove Media Ban of CNN, MS NOW, Politico

A federal judge has ruled the White House is to restore press credentials for reporters at CNN, MSNBC and Politico.

The ruling came down early Thursday morning and states President Donald Trump’s ban likely violated their constitutional due process rights. 

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly handed down the ruling after holding an emergency hearing on the outlets’ lawsuit.  His ruling lasts for two weeks.

The outlets sued after being denied access to the White House grounds on Saturday.

The administration sent letters pointing to national security concerns. The letters weren’t sent until afterward. 

“Defendants do not dispute that Plaintiffs did not receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before their hard passes were revoked,” wrote Kelly, a Trump appointee. 

This is reminiscent of 2018 when then-CNN White House reporter Jim Acosta’s hard pass was revoked. 

In both cases, the judge found that he’s bound by a 1977 decision from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit that the Fifth Amendment’s procedural due process protections kick in when the White House arbitrarily denies a press credential to reporters. 

The Trump administration had told the judge the decision should be overturned.