CNN, Politico and MS NOW reporters have been allowed back into the White House hours after being turned away following a court order to restore their press access in a setback for President Donald Trump.
The three media outlets sought an emergency court hearing to regain entry, accusing the White House in a court filing of having “repeatedly violated” the judge’s ruling to lift the ban. It was unclear whether the hearing would go ahead.
The White House said it began reinstating access shortly after 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT) on Thursday, although CNN has disputed the timeline.
Trump initially said he barred the outlets because of “fake news”. The White House later cited national security.
The standoff limited some TV coverage as Trump welcomed Chinese President Xi Jinping to the White House ahead of a state dinner later.
In the early hours, Judge Timothy Kelly ruled the ban on the outlets should be temporarily lifted because it “likely violated their constitutional due process rights”.
CNN, Politico and MS Now all reported being denied entry to the White House on Thursday morning, prompting their request for an emergency hearing.
In response, the director of White House Operations said in a court filing that the press passes and confiscated badges had been restored by 09:45.
Shortly afterwards, all three outlets said they had been allowed back in.
However, networks including Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC, which pulled out of the White House in solidarity, have yet to confirm they will resume televised coverage.
