Federal judge issues decision on White House media ban

WASHINGTON (NBC, KYMA) - A federal judge has ordered the White House to restore press access for three news organizations previously barred by President Donald Trump.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled Tuesday night MS NOW, CNN and Politico must retain access to the White House, indefinitely restoring their press credentials for now.

The decision follows a hearing last Thursday, where Judge Kelly considered whether the administration's ban was lawful.

During the hearing, the judge indicated that legal precedent limits the White House's ability to revoke press credentials arbitrarily and without due process.

This is the second time Kelly has intervened to restore access for the three news organizations.

In September, he issued an emergency restoring their credentials for two weeks, later extending that protection while he considered a longer-term ruling.

The news organizations had asked the judge to extend the order indefinitely, arguing that without court intervention, the administration could block their journalists from returning to the White House.