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The news organisations and press freedom groups have accused Trump of unconstitutional retaliation against journalists for coverage he does not like.Kelly's order last month gave the CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists access to the White House grounds on a temporary basis.
The judge issued a ruling called a preliminary injunction on Tuesday that will remain in effect until he makes a final judgment in the lawsuit brought by the news organisations, unless an appeals court lifts his order.Kelly wrote that Trump's public remarks made clear that he banned the news outlets because he considered their reporting biased and inaccurate, and not because of national security concerns as government lawyers later asserted….
"Simply put, that is unlawful viewpoint discrimination," the judge wrote, adding that "no one should read this decision as suggesting that President Trump’s complaints are meritless."Trump appointed Kelly in 2017 during his first presidential term.Past presidents have battled with the press, but Trump's campaign against the media has been unprecedented.
He has upended decades of tradition by denying basic access to many major news organisations, launching personal attacks on journalists for their reporting and elevating media outlets seen as more sympathetic to the administration.
He also has filed lawsuits against multiple news outlets.Trump announced the ban in September on his social media platform, saying CNN, Politico, and MS NOW "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the president of the United States." The Justice Department has emphasised Trump's contention that the ban is legally justified on national security grounds.The outlets have said the revocation of their White….
The outlets said in a lawsuit that the ban violated the US Constitution's First Amendment protections for freedom of speech and a free press, as well as their rights to due process, meaning fair treatment from the government.The White House on September 24 reinstated the CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists after Kelly decided the ban "likely violated their constitutional due process rights," and ordered their access immediately restored.The judge….
The Justice Department defended the bans as fair and justified."Here we have the unusual situation where the president himself has said he wants to chill speech.
He wants to coerce better coverage," Theodore Boutrous, an attorney for the outlets, told Kelly during the hearing.Also Read: News outlets ask US court to block Trump White House ban beyond 14-day order"CNN, MS NOW and Politico engaged in apparently indefensible conduct," Justice Department lawyer Michael Velchik said.The legal battle is being waged just weeks before the November 3 US midterm elections in which Trump's fellow Republicans are fighting to….
Trump's job approval ratings are at record lows in opinion polls amid concerns over issues such as inflation and the Iran war.
Judge extends White House access for CNN, MS NOW, Politico amid legal fight Reuters | Updated 2 minutes ago | Rules Trump likely broke law by banning outlets over coverage deemed biased, inaccurate.
