Trump-appointed judge orders White House to restore TV press credentials to CNN, Politico and MS NOW

The useful part

Trump-appointed judge restores White House TV pool access Connect with us CNN's TV booth sat dark on Sept. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a temporary restraining order brought by POLITICO, CNN, and MS NOW as part of a joint lawsuit. The lawsuit cites the imperative role of a "free press" and ordered the 78 journalists' credentials returned to the three outlets for at least the next two weeks as litigation plays out.

How it works

• Wagons loaded with tripods, cables, mics, and cameras sat just past where they normally would be working at full power.
• "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government," the five White House TV pool networks said in a joint statement Monday.
• It originally read, "WE STAND WITH AP" following President Trump's first attempt at removing a news outlet he deemed unfavorable.
• While he continued a lot of this work under Trump 2.0, he didn't last long.
• "It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW!" As a result, all of the major television networks that comprise the television press pool — ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox News — suspended...

What to take from it

They decided to no longer send camera crews to cover President Donald Trump's events. The implications extend beyond these organizations: a standard used to exclude one news outlet because of its coverage could be applied to any outlet in the future. It's leading to a brain drain of competent queer employees and allies who are either resigning or being fired, often because of their LGBTQ identity or their belief that queer people deserve basic human rights.

Example or evidence

• (Screen capture via Zoom) Uncloseted Media published this article on Aug.
• The judge also questioned Trump's justification for removing the outlets, originally saying it was a matter of national security.
• "Nothing in the record that predates this suit suggests that the revocation of plaintiffs' hard passes was motivated by national security concerns.
• House press office asking if the administration would file an appeal to keep the journalists out of the West Wing but did not hear back before publication time.

Details worth keeping

"The court is skeptical — at least on this record — that defendants' interest in safeguarding national security is the actual motivation for, or is even advanced by, the revocation of plaintiffs' hard passes," Kelly wrote in an 8-page ruling issued just before 1 a.m. District of Columbia Donald Trump featured Fifth Amendment first amendment Homepage Headlines MS NOW Politico The Blade Timothy Kelly U.S. In the White House, there was a noticeable shift in the atmosphere.

Related coverage

• Nbcwashington: A federal judge ordered early Thursday that the White House immediately restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying that President Donald Trump 's directive barring the three news outlets last week...
• Nytimes: A judge ordered President Trump to reverse his ban on three media outlets, but it took several hours for them to get back in. The White House TV pool remains suspended.