A federal judge has ordered the Donald Trump administration to restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after finding that the outlets’ press credentials were likely revoked in violation of constitutional due process protections.
CNN is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. (NASDAQ:WBD), Politico is owned by privately held Axel Springer, while MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, operates under independent media company Versant Media Group Inc.(NASDAQ:VSNT).
Judge Blocks Trump’s White House Media Ban
U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order halting Trump’s ban on the three news organizations, Reuters reported.
Kelly said revoking the journalists’ White House credentials “likely violated their constitutional due process rights.”
He also questioned the Justice Department’s national security rationale, noting Trump had publicly tied the ban to negative or false coverage.
Trump announced the ban Sept. 18, accusing the outlets of reporting “fiction” and “lies” about his administration and portraying their coverage as a national security concern.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico Initially Remained Blocked
Despite the court order, journalists from the three outlets were initially still denied entry Thursday morning. Politico said a reporter’s credentials were confiscated, while CNN and MS NOW also reported access problems.
The White House said it began restoring affected press badges at 7:25 a.m., and delivered replacement credentials to an entry gate around 9:55 a.m.
The journalists were subsequently allowed back onto the grounds.
White House Press Pool Disrupted
The dispute also disrupted presidential coverage during Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to Washington.
CNN is part of the five-network White House television pool, alongside ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC. The other networks had suspended pooled coverage in solidarity with CNN, leaving no TV pool cameras for Xi’s arrival at the White House.
White House did not immediately respond to Benzinga’s request for comment.
Price Action: On Thursday, Warner Bros. Discovery closed at $30.84, up 0.26%, while Versant Media Group closed at $33.50, up 1.39%, according to Benzinga Pro.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Warner Bros. ranks in the 87th percentile for Momentum, with shares showing positive short-, medium- and long-term price trends.
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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