Trump administration has a history of ignoring or violating court orders, and that could be happening today as journalists are blocked despite court order restoring access

(Threads)

Several journalists today report being denied access to the White House despite a federal judge's overnight ruling granting a temporary restraining order that immediately ended the Trump administration media ban. It was not immediately clear if the White House was openly defying the court order or if something else caused the denials. Newsweek reports on the latest under the headline "White House blocks reporters entering despite court order." Matthew Robinson and Billal Rahman write:

A number of journalists have reported being denied entry to the White House on Thursday despite a judge ordering President Donald Trump's administration to immediately restore their access.

The White House banned journalists from CNN, Politico and MS Now from entering the complex last week after Trump accused them of reporting "fiction and lies."

But U.S. District Judge Timothy James Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday preventing officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days while a legal challenge by the news outlets proceeds.

Despite the court order, journalists from all three outlets reported being denied access when attempting to enter the White House on Thursday.

Robinson and Rahman spoke with several journalists and outlets who shared their stories of being told they could not enter as usual:

CNN said that its reporter Betsy Klein and a photojournalist were denied access despite multiple attempts, and that no reason was provided. Politico and MS NOW also reported that their reporters were denied access.

MS NOW reporter Laura Barrón-López said: "I made it past the first perimeter fencing that has Secret Service... then I went to the press pass security hut and again made it through the gate." 

But she added that when she placed her press badge on a pin pad it repeatedly flashed red, and that a member of the Secret Service told her it was still disabled, before later confiscating it. 

A review by the Associated Press (AP) found that the administration had ignored or violated court orders at least 31 times since Trump returned to office. It is not clear if that is what's happening today. From Newsweek:

"It's not clear based on the interaction I had whether or not this is a defiance of the court order, or it's some kind of incompetence or lag in the system," Barrón-López said.

Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment by email.