A Politico reporter was prohibited from accessing the White House Thursday and his press pass was confiscated by the Secret Service, the outlet reported , hours after a federal judge ordered that the Trump administration restore CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s access to the White House, granting a temporary restraining order against President Donald Trump’s decision to ban them from the premises.

In his ruling , federal judge Timothy Kelly noted that the three media houses are likely to succeed in their argument that their press passes were “revoked without constitutionally adequate due process.”

Kelly, who was nominated by Trump in 2017, noted that “individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them of a constitutionally protected interest.”

In its filing Tuesday night, the Trump administration disclosed that it had sent letters to the three outlets noting that they can appeal the ban, but these letters were sent days after the ban took effect.

The judge also noted that the Trump administration failed to clearly articulate what standards had been violated by the three press outlets and said its argument on violation of “professionalism and decorum” is “so vague it hardly does the trick.”

The judge added that the media outlets had shown they will likely suffer “irreparable harm” if he didn’t issue a temporary restraining order against the ban.

What else Did The Judge Say About Trump’s Ban ?

Kelly noted that the White House’s mentions protecting “classified and sensitive national security information” as an argument for revoking the press passes. “Still, on this record, Defendants offer little to back up their asserted national security interest to justify revocation of Plaintiffs’ hard passes.” The judge also said that Trump did not mention national security when he announced the ban on the three outlets last week, “instead, he focused on the alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity of Plaintiffs’ reporting.”

President Donald Trump has not yet commented on the judge’s ruling, but late on Tuesday he signaled that he believed the decision would go against his administration. In a Truth Social post , he attacked CNN and MS NOW, calling them “sick, treasonous, and demented.” He added: “The ‘good news’ is that they have a great, for them, and totally disloyal Judge.”

While announcing the ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico Friday, Trump said this was a “result of their constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” The president warned that more bans could follow soon, adding: “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America.” After the ban, journalists from the three outlets were denied access to the White House grounds. On Monday, CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the Trump administration in federal court, arguing that the ban was a retaliation against “protected newsgathering and speech in violation of the First Amendment.” Reports later emerged on Monday that the president made the decision to ban the three outlets after his controversial aide Natalie Harp showed him clips of negative coverage about the president and his administration.

What Had The Trump Administration Said In Its Filing?

In its filing on Tuesday night , the Justice Department argued that Trump’s decision to ban on the three outlets was made after he concluded that CNN, MS NOW and Politico had “failed to maintain basic minimum ‘standards of professionalism and decorum’ expected of those given access to the White House Complex.” The DOJ alleged that the three outlets engaged in “trafficking in verifiable falsehoods about national security and other issues, and publishing sensitive or classified information.” The filing further argued that access to the White House was a “privilege—not a right” and the Government had a right to “control reporters’ access to restricted presidential areas,” like the Oval Office.

‘Sleazebags’: Trump Lashes Out At CNN Reporter As DOJ Defends White House Press Ban (Forbes)

Natalie Harp Reportedly Showed Trump Critical News Coverage Before Media Ban (Forbes)

MS NOW, CNN Says Journalists Turned Away From White House After Trump’s ‘Ban’ (Forbes)