A lawyer for CNN, MS NOW and Politico urged a federal judge on Thursday to extend the court order blocking the Trump White House's ban on the outlets, arguing the revocation of their press access over coverage the president labelled "FAKE NEWS" amounts to unlawful retaliation.
The outlets are seeking a preliminary injunction on First and Fifth Amendment grounds. Justice Department lawyer Michael Velchik countered that the outlets had published classified or false information, defending the administration's right to control White House access.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who first blocked the ban on Sept. 24 after finding a likely Fifth Amendment due-process violation, promised a ruling by Tuesday, when the temporary block expires.
The case lands just weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, with press-freedom advocates watching closely for how far the courts will let the White House go in punishing coverage it dislikes.
