Judge Timothy Kelly’s Sept. 24 order restored White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days, finding they were likely to succeed on their claim that their credentials were revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. Access to the grounds and participation in the presidential pool remain distinct points of dispute. Ted Boutrous, the outlets’ lawyer, has argued that pool access “is covered by the temporary restraining order.”
The three outlets have asked Kelly for a preliminary injunction preserving their access beyond the order’s Oct. 8 expiration. Their filing cited CNN’s exclusion from Air Force One for Trump’s Sept. 26 trip to Tennessee and accused the administration of continuing to retaliate against them to “punish and chill journalism they dislike.” Attorney General Todd Blanche has defended the restrictions, arguing that inaccurate and one-sided coverage can become a national security issue.