Kelly says defendants offered no proof of national security harm
Theodore J. Boutrous, the lawyer representing CNN, MS NOW, and Politico in their lawsuit against President Trump, said in a statement to NPR that the federal court’s order restoring his clients’ White House press credentials amounts to a vindication of “freedom of the press, due process, and the rule of law.”
“This is a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process, and the rule of law,” Boutrous said. “We greatly appreciate the court’s swift action.”
Boutrous issued the statement after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order directing the Trump administration to restore White House press credentials to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The order preserves the networks’ ability to cover the White House during the litigation but does not resolve the underlying constitutional claims in the lawsuit.
President Trump last week banned the networks from covering White House events. CNN, MS NOW, and Politico responded with a joint lawsuit alleging their constitutional rights were violated and asked the court for a restraining order to continue reporting from the White House while the case proceeds.
According to NPR’s David Folkenflik, who reported on the ruling for the Up First newsletter, the court was skeptical of the Trump administration’s assertion that it had revoked the networks’ White House access over national security concerns. Judge Kelly said the defendants had not offered evidence to explain how “any of the reporting they identified in their letters to Plaintiffs damaged national security.”