Arabic version: منع صحفيين من دخول البيت الأبيض بعد حكم قضائي
According to BBC News, reporters from CNN, Politico and MS NOW were denied entry to the White House on Thursday morning, hours after a federal judge temporarily lifted President Donald Trump’s ban on access for the outlets.
Employees from the three organisations said some credentials were confiscated, while other staff members were allowed in. CNN reported that senior White House reporter Betsy Klein was denied entry, although a producer was admitted. Politico said one reporter was refused access and had press credentials taken.
MS NOW said its White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and a producer were denied entry and had their passes taken, while another MS NOW producer was allowed into the White House. Lawyers for the outlets requested an emergency court hearing, saying the White House had “repeatedly violated” the order to restore press access.
Judge Timothy Kelly overturned the ban in the early hours of Thursday, ruling that it likely violated the outlets’ constitutional due process rights. Trump had said the outlets were spreading “fake news”, while the White House later cited national security as the reason for barring them.
It was unclear whether the refusals resulted from an administrative lag as the White House potentially 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. The White House had not commented on the ruling, and the president’s lawyers could take further legal action.
