A federal judge temporarily guarantees CNN, MSNBC, and Politico journalists access to the White House

A U.S. federal judge ruled Tuesday that journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico must not be excluded from the White House during the lawsuit brought against the Donald Trump administration. Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the status quo to be maintained through a provisional measure until the case is resolved.

The three media organizations challenged in court President Donald Trump’s decision to withdraw their access to the White House on September 18. Trump accused them of broadcasting “fake news,” while the journalists argued that the measure violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which protects freedom of the press.

On September 24, Judge Kelly had ordered the administration to reinstate the press credentials. Nevertheless, reporters’ access remained limited to certain events at the White House and to the president’s travels, including aboard the presidential aircraft Air Force One.

In the reasoning behind the new decision, the judge found that the plaintiffs have a strong likelihood of prevailing both with regard to compliance with legal procedures and on the arguments based on the First Amendment. The court specified that the measure seeks to preserve the existing situation until a final decision is issued.