Trump's revenge backfired: The judge didn't buy the story

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore access to the White House for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, ruling that the ban stemmed from retaliatory motives due to negative coverage, while rejecting the administration's national security claims.

A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access to three news outlets—CNN, Politico, and MS NOW—after they were blocked in September. Judge Kelly, appointed by Trump himself, ruled in his decision that the ban was apparently motivated by retaliation for negative coverage and rejected the administration's national security claims. The judge noted that the president's statements show a reasonable causal link between the journalists' protected free speech and the revocation of their permanent press passes, calling it unconstitutional discrimination based on viewpoints. Trump has defended the ban since announcing it on September 18, claiming the coverage was negative or one-sided. The outlets argued that the move created a chilling effect on other media organizations.