A number of journalists have reported being denied entry to the White House on Thursday despite a judge ordering President Donald Trump's administration to immediately restore their access. The White House banned journalists from CNN, Politico and MS Now from entering the complex last week after Trump accused them of reporting "fiction and lies." But U.S. District Judge Timothy James Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday preventing officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days while a legal challenge by the news outlets proceeds.
Despite the court order, journalists from all three outlets reported being denied access when attempting to enter the White House on Thursday. CNN said that its reporter Betsy Klein and a photojournalist were denied access despite multiple attempts, and that no reason was provided. Politico and MS NOW also reported that their reporters were denied access.
MS NOW reporter Laura Barrón-López said: "I made it past the first perimeter fencing that has Secret Service... then I went to the press pass security hut and again made it through the gate." But she added that when she placed her press badge on a pin pad it repeatedly flashed red, and that a member of the Secret Service told her it was still disabled, before later confiscating it. "It's not clear based on the interaction I had whether or not this is a defiance of the court order, or it's some kind of incompetence or lag in the system," she said. Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment by email.
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