US judge blocks Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House

A US federal judge early Thursday ordered the restoration of White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking President Donald Trump's decision to bar the three news organisations from the White House grounds.

The ruling comes amid a growing dispute between Trump and media organisations over coverage of his presidency. Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing the outlets of publishing “fake news”. He has since also argued that negative coverage poses a danger to the country.

The three organisations challenged the decision in court, arguing that they were targeted because of their reporting and that the ban amounted to viewpoint discrimination. They described the move as a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly heard arguments in the case on Wednesday but did not immediately issue a ruling. Kelly was nominated to the federal bench by Trump in 2017 and had previously ordered the restoration of a CNN journalist's access in a similar case in 2018.

The judge issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday, which will remain in force for 14 days. Such orders are generally issued to maintain the existing situation while a court conducts a more detailed examination of the case.  (with inputs from PTI)