Trump administration says banned media outlets allowed to return
Trump has long bristled against critical coverage of his administration and policies
THE Trump administration said in a legal filing that it has restored access for now to three media outlets the president had banned from White House grounds last week.
Reporters from CNN and MS Now started returning to the White House grounds after a federal court had ordered a suspension of the ban.
The networks made announcements during their broadcasts on Thursday (Sep 24).
US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly had asked the White House earlier in the day to respond to complaints from the outlets that they weren’t allowed in early Thursday morning despite his order to do so. He had given the White House a deadline of 12.30 pm Washington time.
President Donald Trump announced on Sep 18 that he was banning the two cable news outlets, along with Politico, from the White House, citing unfavourable coverage by the organisations. The outlets said that when they received formal letters four days later, the administration cited national security grounds.
Early on Thursday, Kelly issued a ruling that temporarily bars the White House from enforcing its announced ban while a lawsuit filed by the media companies proceeds.
Kelly said in his order that the news organisations met the “high bar” of showing they were likely to succeed in the merits of the case, citing a lack of due process, violation of constitutional freedoms and the overall public interest.
Trump has for years labelled critical coverage of his administration and policies as “fake news”, and his decision to ban the outlets is the latest in a series of moves by his administration to curb press access to events and spaces that are in the public interest. BLOOMBERG
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
