CNN, MS NOW, Politico journalists unable to access White House despite judge’s order

CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters were unable to access the White House on Thursday, despite a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to immediately restore their press credentials.

CNN reporter Betsy Klein and a photojournalist were also denied access to the White House grounds early Thursday, while one CNN producer was able to enter the property using their pass, the outlet reported .

“There was no reason provided for the refusal and CNN will continue to try to gain access as regular business hours start,” CNN’s story on the matter noted.

MS NOW also noted on its website that its reporter was blocked from the White House after the court ruling came in overnight.

A Politico reporter, meanwhile, “was denied access” to the White House on Thursday, and his press credentials were “confiscated,” according to the organization.

The journalists were blocked from the grounds before 9 a.m. EDT. Given the timing, there is a possibility the ruling was not yet processed.

The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled early Thursday that the White House must grant reporters from the blocked outlets access to the White House complex, days after the media organizations sued after President Trump banned their journalists from his residence.

The ruling from Kelly , a Trump appointee, lasts for two weeks. In his emergency ruling, the judge wrote the reporters “did not receive an opportunity to be heard” before the White House revoked their credentials.

“Moreover, Plaintiffs — and the public — have an abiding interest in maintaining the status quo ante given the importance of the free press, which ‘stands as one of the great interpreters between the government and the people,’” he added in the eight-page ruling.

Theodore Boutrous, an attorney for the outlets, called Kelly’s decision a “strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law.”

Boutrous later on Thursday morning wrote to the court asking for an emergency hearing on the matter “as soon as possible,” saying the outlets’ legal team had reached out to DOJ attorneys and had not heard back.

“And time is of the essence —CNN is scheduled to be the television pool this evening for President Xi Jinping’s visit to the White House,” Boutrous wrote. “Defendants have already repeatedly violated the Court’s Order.”

The White House has not commented on the judge’s late-night decision; while Trump made a series of Truth Social posts early Thursday but did not acknowledge the judge’s ruling in any of them.