Kelly, a Trump appointee, restored the outlets' access for 14 days on Sept. 24 with a temporary restraining order that expires Oct. 8, finding they were likely to succeed on their claim that their credentials were revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. The major TV networks resumed pooled coverage of Trump's events on Friday after suspending it in protest of the ban, and the White House has listed CNN as primary pool for Thursday.
Attorney General Todd Blanche defended the ban after ABC's Martha Raddatz challenged him to cite an example of inaccurate CNN reporting, saying "the complete misinformation and the inaccuracy and the one-sided news out of certain organizations does become a national security issue." Justice Department lawyers offered no specific example of misinformation or incorrect reporting to justify the ban in their court filings.