OVERRULED

Trump Humiliated by His Own Judge Over Bonkers Media Ban

A judge appointed by the president has ruled on his attempt to bar news outlets from the White House.

Donald Trump has suffered another humiliating defeat after a judge he appointed blocked his extraordinary attempt to ban three major news organizations from the White House.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled Tuesday that CNN, MS NOW and Politico must retain their White House press credentials while their legal challenge continues, in another blow to the president’s escalating war against journalists whose coverage he despises.

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In a devastating 26-page ruling, Kelly concluded that the outlets “are likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two First Amendment claims.”

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The Trump appointee also rejected the administration’s attempts to justify the crackdown on national security grounds, saying “there was no evidence in the record” that concerns about sensitive information motivated the president’s initial decision.

Justice Department lawyers had also accused the organizations of failing to meet professional standards, citing coverage of classified matters and an MS NOW report about a proposal to put Trump’s name on Ford’s Theatre.

But Kelly found that the president’s own words clearly showed he issued the ban in retaliation for reporting he viewed as hostile and inaccurate.

Trump, 80, announced the ban on Sep. 18, accusing the three organizations of publishing unfavorable stories about him. The following day, reporters discovered their security credentials had been deactivated and were turned away from the White House.

The president then escalated his campaign by removing CNN from the television press pool covering his trip to the United Nations, even though the network was to provide footage to other broadcasters.

Kelly initially ordered the reporters’ credentials restored on Sept. 24, but they were still turned away at the White House gates.

Kelly’s temporary protection was due to expire Tuesday, raising the prospect of another ban, but he issued a preliminary injunction preserving the outlets’ White House credentials while the lawsuit continues.

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While the decision does not resolve the underlying lawsuit, attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr., who represents the three organizations, welcomed the injunction. He said that the president had violated constitutional protections and tried to pressure journalists into changing their coverage.

The White House has been approached for comment.

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