In Victory for Free Press, Judge Rules Trump Must Immediately Restore Jim Acosta's Press Pass

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In a victory for press freedom, a federal judge on Friday granted CNN's emergency motion to immediately restore White House correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials, which were revoked by the Trump administration last week after a chaotic post-midterm press conference.

Over a dozen news organizations announced their support for CNN's lawsuit against the Trump administration this week as the Justice Department argued in a court filing that "[n]o journalist has a First Amendment right to enter the White House."

"Today's decision reaffirms that no one, not even the president, is above the law. The White House surely hoped that expelling a reporter would deter forceful questioning, but the court's ruling will have the opposite effect," the ACLU wrote on Twitter. "The freedom of the press is a bedrock principle, and our democracy is strengthened when journalists challenge our leaders rather than defer to them."

While the judge—who is a Trump appointee—didn't rule on the underlying case, his decision to grant CNN's emergency motion was viewed as an important victory for the organization and the American media as a whole.

"We are gratified with this result and we look forward to a full resolution in the coming days," CNN and Acosta said in a statement. "Our sincere thanks to all who have supported not just CNN, but a free, strong, and independent American press."