Journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were barred from entering the White House for Donald Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite a judge ordering that the ban be temporarily lifted.
The three news organisations have asked for an emergency court hearing, saying their reporters were still denied access on Thursday morning. Their request followed a ruling by Judge Timothy Kelly that the restrictions were likely unconstitutional.
The judge’s order blocked the White House from enforcing the ban for 14 days. However, the outlets said Secret Service agents continued to prevent their journalists from entering the complex.
The court filing said agents had also “confiscated the hard passes of journalists whose hard passes had not previously been confiscated”.
It added that CNN journalist Betsy Klein, whose pass was taken at the weekend, asked for it to be returned but was refused access to the White House complex.
The dispute unfolded as Trump and Xi held a high-stakes summit at the White House. Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeted Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan, while the meeting was broadcast on the White House’s official social media channel.
There were no cameras from the main US television networks at the event, as news organisations continued a boycott in solidarity with CNN. A pool of print reporters and photographers was present, while Fox News used an aerial view of the White House and file footage when reporting on the summit.
CNN and MS NOW broadcast from streets outside the White House. Trump imposed the ban on Saturday over objections to the three outlets’ reporting, saying there was no specific trigger beyond what he called “fake news”.
