WASHINGTON — Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were back on White House grounds Thursday after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to lift a week-old ban on the three outlets. But the day ended the way it began — with access in dispute.

By Thursday night, CNN and MS NOW said their journalists had been blocked from covering the guest arrivals for President Donald Trump's state dinner honoring Chinese President Xi Jinping, just hours after winning a court order restoring their credentials.

THE RULING

In a ruling issued after midnight Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington, D.C., granted a temporary restraining order requiring the administration to restore the outlets' White House press badges, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Kelly — appointed by Trump during his first term — found that the outlets were likely to succeed on their claim that their credentials had been revoked without "constitutionally adequate due process," which generally requires notice and an opportunity to object. The judge said administration officials had offered "little to back up their asserted national security interest" for the ban, and that Trump had instead focused on "the alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity" of the outlets' reporting, the Journal reported.

The order lasts 14 days while Kelly considers whether to extend it for the duration of the case.

THE BAN

Trump announced the ban last Friday, September 18, in a social media post, saying CNN, MS NOW and Politico would no longer be permitted to cover the White House. He cited what he described as unfair coverage of his administration, telling reporters it was "really just cumulative stories over the last two years" that he was "sick of," according to the Journal. He did not point to a specific story and said he would consider banning other outlets in the future.

The three organizations sued on Monday, alleging the administration had retaliated against them over their reporting and violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights.

A CHAOTIC THURSDAY

Even with a court order in hand, getting back through the gates was not immediate. CNN reporter Betsy Klein tried to enter shortly after 6 a.m. Thursday and was told she was not approved, despite showing officials the court order, according to reports. Other CNN personnel ran into similar problems early in the morning.

By midday, journalists from all three organizations were reporting from White House grounds again, and the administration confirmed in a court filing that it had reinstated the suspended reporters' badges.

BLOCKED AT DINNER

Then came the state dinner.

CNN said two of its journalists assigned to cover the arrivals for the Xi dinner were prevented from entering. The White House told the network it could send a photojournalist and an audio technician — but not the reporter and producer assigned to the event, according to CNN. Reporters and producers from other networks were allowed in, CNN reported.

MS NOW said its White House reporter, Laura Barrón-López — one of the journalists whose credentials were reinstated under the judge's order — was also denied entry to the arrival ceremony.

Trump addressed the matter Thursday evening on Truth Social, but in a different light: he claimed CNN and "MSDNC" had "refused to cover one of the Biggest and Most Beautiful Events to take place in many years," writing that the networks stayed away because "they knew how good it would be, they didn't want credit to be given to 'TRUMP.'"

THE VIDEO POOL

There was another wrinkle. After the White House removed CNN from a rotation of five major U.S. broadcast outlets that take turns shooting and sharing video, the other four networks — in a show of solidarity — declined to participate in the so-called video pool, according to the Associated Press. The result: on a day when China's leader was visiting Washington, no major American network was airing live coverage of Xi's arrival.

WHAT'S NEXT

The legal fight is far from over. According to the Los Angeles Times, the outlets must file a motion for a preliminary injunction by September 28, with the administration's response due October 2 and a reply from the outlets by October 5.

Trump is scheduled to take Xi to visit the National Archives on Friday. Xi is expected to depart Washington afterward.

  • National Correspondent Network