Poynter is reporting that a federal judge ruled President Donald Trump's ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House was likely unconstitutional and ordered their press credentials restored.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the ruling around 1:30 a.m. Eastern on Thursday, granting a 14-day restraining order and directing the White House to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" the outlets' press passes. The decision followed a 45-minute hearing Wednesday afternoon on the ban, which Trump announced last weekend and which prompted the three outlets to sue. Poynter said Kelly's ruling leaned more on the Fifth Amendment's due process protections than the First Amendment, noting the judge wrote that the outlets did not receive notice or an opportunity to be heard before their hard passes were revoked. Kelly, a Trump appointee who also restored then-CNN reporter Jim Acosta's credentials in 2018, called the outlets' coverage "routine" and said Trump's public statements focused on the negativity of their reporting rather than national security.
Poynter reported that a lawyer for the outlets, Theodore J. Boutrous, told the court that Trump's own statements about the ban made him "our lead witness," while administration lawyer Michael Velchik argued the outlets embraced an "absurd interpretation of the First Amendment." After the ruling, Boutrous told CNN the decision vindicated freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law. Poynter said the White House could continue the fight in court, but noted that the television pool covering Trump — including ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News — agreed to boycott coverage of him in support of the banned outlets.
Poynter also reported that court filings included a White House letter accusing Politico of trafficking in "verifiable falsehoods" and publishing sensitive information, citing six stories. One cited June article about Iran deal talks relied on a "senior official" granted anonymity. Poynter said Status' Oliver Darcy reported the official was Vice President JD Vance, and that The Washington Post and The Associated Press reported the article was based on a White House-hosted briefing where reporters were instructed to cite an anonymous "senior administration official."
Separately, Poynter reported that an Iowa judge dismissed Trump's lawsuit against pollster J. Ann Selzer, the Des Moines Register and Gannett over a 2024 pre-election poll that showed Trump trailing Kamala Harris in Iowa. Iowa District Judge Scott J. Beattie ruled the suit sought to stretch state law beyond its bounds and turn protected speech into a liability. Selzer said polling is a social science, not clairvoyance.
Poynter also reported that a federal judge has scheduled a hearing on the proposed settlement between Paramount and a group of state attorneys general over Paramount's $111 billion purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. It said the settlement includes commitments to release at least 30 movies a year and to create an independent board overseeing CNN and CBS News journalistic standards. Poynter said Semafor reported Paramount executives have discussed tapping Elon Musk for an equity investment syndicate, and that CNN CEO Mark Thompson told staff he is "enthusiastic about staying" but does not know how Paramount wants to run news.