Judge Extends Block on Trump's Media Ban
A federal judge weighed Thursday whether to extend his block on Trump's White House ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico. He promised a ruling by Tuesday.
- 80 journalists and staffers hold passes covered by the extended restraining order.
- Sept. 24: Kelly found the ban likely violated Fifth Amendment due process.
- CNN and Politico remain barred from Air Force One and the Oval Office.
- Kelly, a Trump appointee, restored CNN's Jim Acosta's pass in 2018.
Why it matters: Trump announced the ban on Truth Social, citing what he called fake news. The Justice Department defends it on national security and professionalism grounds.
- Outlets' lawyer Theodore Boutrous cited Trump's Sept. 28 Time interview as proof the security rationale is pretext.
- Kelly pressed DOJ lawyer Michael Velchik on why Trump's stated reasons differ from the government's.
How 25 sources split on this story
Where they split: The dispute is whether the ban punishes coverage Trump dislikes or responds to published classified information and false reporting.
Center coverage, 7 sources: The center focuses on the courtroom: the judge's skepticism, the competing legal rationales and the ruling timeline.
Left coverage, 14 sources: The left frames the ban as Trump punishing negative coverage, with shifting justifications offered after the fact.
Right coverage, 4 sources: The right covers it as a procedural step, noting the outlets' request and the midterm political backdrop.
What’s next: Kelly will rule by Tuesday on a preliminary injunction blocking the ban until trial or appeal.
- Limits on smaller spaces like Air Force One hinge on the separate AP lawsuit.
- Will Kelly rule on the outlets' First Amendment retaliation claim, which he has not yet addressed?
- Will Trump extend bans to other outlets, as he has said he might?
