A court ruling obliges the White House to reinstate media outlets banned by Trump.

A U.S. federal judge ordered the White House to immediately restore access to CNN, MSNBC (formerly known as MSNB), and Politico to the U.S. presidential headquarters after they were barred by President Donald Trump from covering his activities. Judge Timothy Kelly found that revoking the credentials of these three media organizations without prior warning "likely violated their constitutional rights" which ensure freedom of the press. Last Friday, the U.S. president issued a surprising decision to bar these media organizations from covering his activities as a punitive measure for publishing what he described as "fake news" and "fabricated stories and lies." These organizations responded by filing a lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order against the ban, citing Trump's violation of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees freedom of the press. However, the Department of Justice argued in a memorandum submitted to the court that Trump could "control journalists' access to presidential areas subject to restrictions such as the Oval Office." It also stated in its memorandum that "access to the White House is a privilege, not a right." The White House press office accused the three media organizations of "promoting lies that can be proven false concerning national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information."