Court blocks Trump's White House media ban

A US federal district court in Washington DC has said that President Donald Trump's banning of three media outlets from the White House is likely unconstitutional and ordered the administration to restore access for the organizations.

Trump posted on social media on September 18 that he would bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. He claimed that the outlets are reporting fake news.

The three outlets filed a lawsuit on Monday. They argued that banning them from the White House goes against the Constitution, which protects freedom of the press. They demanded that their access be restored.

The court issued a 14-day restraining order against the ban on Thursday.

It said that the administration's move likely violated the constitutional due process rights of the outlets.

After the ruling, CNN released a quote from the lawyer who represented the media outlets. He reportedly said: "This is a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law. We greatly appreciate the court's swift action."

Comments from the Trump administration have not been released.