Federal Judge asks White House to restore Jim Acosta's press credentials

The White House was on Friday ordered to temporarily restore the press credentials of CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta by a federal judge here.

The ruling, from Judge Timothy J. Kelly of Federal District Court here, was viewed as a victory for journalism and a timely reminder of press freedoms that advocates say have recently come under threat, The New York Times reported.

CNN had on Tuesday filed a lawsuit suing United States President Donald Trump and his associates, seeking an immediate restoration of the press credentials of its chief White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.

The lawsuit was a response to the White House's suspension of Acosta's press pass, known as a Secret Service "hard pass", last week for an unspecified duration.

The revocation of Acosta’s press pass came after a verbal spat with United States President Donald Trump during a news conference last week.

The American broadcaster alleged that the removal of Acosta's White House press pass constituted a violation of his First Amendment rights to freely report on the government. CNN also alleged that the administration had violated Acosta's due process rights by revoking his credentials without warning.

Other legal issues raised by the lawsuit, which the network filed this week, are expected to be addressed in subsequent hearings.