The battle between the Trump administration and several major news organizations over access to the White House is heading into another decisive legal phase.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have returned to federal court seeking to prevent the administration from reinstating its restrictions once a temporary court order expires next week. The outlets are asking U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly to issue a preliminary injunction that would preserve their White House access while their broader lawsuit moves forward.
The dispute began in September, when President Donald Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer have access to the White House. Reporters from the organizations subsequently arrived at the complex and were denied entry, with their hard-pass credentials deactivated. The organizations responded by suing the administration, arguing that the move violated their First Amendment rights.
What followed was a rapid escalation between the White House, the news organizations and the federal courts.
