A federal judge has ordered President Donald Trump to temporarily reinstate access for journalists from CNN, MSNow, and Politico to the White House after he had banned them on Friday, citing concerns about their reporting. The temporary restraining order will remain in place for 14 days whilst the legal case continues. The decision is significant because it represents a challenge to executive authority over press access and raises questions about balancing press freedom with national security.

Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, found that the revocation of press passes "likely violated" the journalists' constitutional due process rights, ruling that individuals must be given notice and an opportunity to be heard before the government restricts their access to constitutionally protected interests. The three outlets had sued jointly, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment right to a free press, whilst the Justice Department contended that the outlets' reporting on matters including Iran and the White House ballroom project posed potential national security risks. Journalists from the affected organisations had their credentials confiscated over the weekend and were forced to report from outside the White House building. Trump indicated beforehand that he expected the ruling to go against him and said he would "probably" comply if ordered to do so by the courts, though he vowed to appeal.