CNN, Politico and MS Now have asked for an emergency court hearing, alleging that the White House repeatedly failed to comply with an order restoring their press access.
The request followed reports that employees from the three outlets were denied entry to the White House on Thursday morning. Some journalists had their credentials confiscated, while others from the same organisations were allowed inside, according to the outlets.
Earlier on Thursday, Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that President Donald Trump’s ban on the outlets should be temporarily lifted. The judge said the ban likely violated the organisations’ constitutional due process rights.
CNN reported that senior White House reporter Betsy Klein was among its journalists who were refused entry, although a producer was admitted. Politico said one of its reporters was denied access and had press credentials taken away.
MS Now said White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and a producer were barred and had their passes confiscated. Another producer from the outlet was allowed to enter, it said.
Questions over compliance
It was not clear whether the reported denials reflected an administrative delay as the White House worked to comply with the ruling. The dispute was expected to affect television coverage as Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House ahead of a state dinner.
Trump had initially said the outlets were barred because of what he called “fake news”. The White House later cited national security. The White House had not commented on the ruling, and lawyers representing the president could pursue further legal action.
Source: BBC News
