U.S. Department of Justice seeks to restore the ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House

Lawyers for the Department of Justice (DOJ), representing President Donald Trump, have asked the federal court in Washington not to issue a preliminary injunction that would block the president’s ban on the media outlets before a final decision on whether the ban is lawful, as USA Today reports. The request was filed in court on October 2 and is addressed to Judge Timothy Kelly, whom the administration asks not to extend the block beyond the expiry of the temporary order.

Federal Judge Kelly, appointed to the post by Trump himself, had issued on September 24 a 14-day temporary restraining order against the White House measure that stripped the press credentials of CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists. This order expires around October 8, and the judge’s decision on the DOJ request will determine whether the ban returns or remains suspended.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico had asked the court on September 28 for long-term protection, writing that the White House’s “words and actions” “leave little doubt that they will immediately restore the full ban” as soon as they are allowed to. The outlets sued the administration after the removal of their access passes, arguing that their constitutional rights to free speech and due process were violated.

Trump had announced the ban on September 18 on social media, saying he was frustrated by the “stories accumulated over recent years” of what he called “fake news”. A day later, on September 19, the three outlets’ journalists were denied entry to the White House, which prompted them to sue.

The administration argues that access to the White House is a privilege, not a right, and that the outlets pose risks to national security because of their reporting on classified information. Judge Kelly had earlier found that the ban likely violated the media’s right to notice and a hearing before the removal of the access passes. Despite the restoration of the press passes after his temporary order, the White House has continued to block CNN from trips on Air Force One.