WASHINGTON: The White House says it will “temporarily reinstate” the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta in response to a judge’s order.

A federal judge on Friday ordered the administration to return the credentials that were revoked after Acosta and Trump tangled during a press conference last week.

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders also called for “decorum” at the White House and said they would be developing “rules and processes to ensure fair and orderly press conferences in the future.”

The judge granted CNN’s request for a temporary restraining order. A lawsuit that CNN brought against the Trump administration over the issue is continuing.Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order that requires the White House to restore Acosta’s access until a full hearing is held, according to the network.

CNN and other media groups, including Trump favourite Fox News, backed the lawsuit, which claimed that revoking Acosta’s pass violated constitutional guarantees of a free press.

Kelly, a Trump appointee to the bench, said that his ruling was based on “due process” for the journalist, and that he would hold additional proceedings on the constitutional issues at stake, including the First Amendment free press guarantee.

“I want to be very clear that I have not determined that the First Amendment was violated,” he said in the Washin­gton courtroom, adding that he based his decision on a 1977 ruling that required the White House to offer reasons for denial of press credentials and an opportunity to respond.

CNN said in a statement: “We are gratified with this result and we look forward to a full resolution in the coming days. Our sincere thanks to all who have supported not just CNN, but a free, strong and independent American press.” Acosta said outside the courthouse: “I want to thank all of my colleagues in the press who supported us this week. And I want to thank the judge for the decision he made today. And let’s go back to work.”

CNN’s lawyer argued in court Wednesday that the White House violated Acosta’s First Amendment right to free speech in revoking his credentials.

The US Justice Department’s lawyer, James Burnham, countered that Acosta had “disrupted” last week’s news conference. Burnham insisted “there is no First Amendment right to access the White House.”

Acosta, CNN’s chief White House correspondent, angered Trump when he persisted in questioning the president at a November 7 news conference, ignoring demands he yield the microphone.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2018