A federal judge has ruled that the White House cannot bar three news organizations from covering the president while their lawsuit proceeds. The preliminary injunction keeps press credentials in place for CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, wrote in a 26-page ruling that the revocation likely infringed rights under the First and Fifth Amendments, and that the president's own comments suggested the outlets' reporting motivated the decision.
The judge rejected the Justice Department's national security argument, saying the record did not show that concern drove the decision from the start. He added that the ruling does not mean the government can never protect genuinely classified information.
The case follows a September emergency order that temporarily restored access. The administration is considering an appeal, and the underlying lawsuit continues toward a fuller hearing.
