US judge suspends Trump’s ban from ‘Politico’, CNN and MS NOW for the time being

A Court in US federal has lifted the ban on journalists from CNN and MS NOW, as well as the magazine *Politico* which, like *WELT*, is owned by Axel Springer from the White House, a ban imposed by President Donald Trump.

District Judge Tim Kelly stated on Thursday that the exclusion of the three media organisations was likely unconstitutional. The ruling is a major setback for Trump in his conflict with the press. The media organisations had taken legal action against Trump‘s ban, which was announced on 18 September.

Trump had stated that the three media outlets should not constantly spread “fiction and lies”. Lawyers from the Department of Justice had justified the ban on the grounds of national security.

The broadcasters CNN and MS NOW, as well as the magazine “Politico”, had filed a lawsuit on Monday to protect their freedom of the press, which is enshrined in the US Constitution. According to CNN, the White House revoked the accreditations without prior notice or due process because the government took issue with the reporting.

Trump rejected the accusation that he was attacking the free press. He claimed, rather, that he was taking action against ‘fake news’, which posed a threat to national security.

Trump has repeatedly attempted to exclude unwelcome media outlets or journalists in the past. Last year, for example, he banned the AP news agency from travelling with him because it had refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America’. He also threatened on Friday to exclude other media outlets, such as the *New York Times* and the *Washington Post*

Francis Tawiah (Duisburg, Germany)