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Reuters
WASHINGTON
A US judge on Friday ordered the White House to temporarily restore CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass, which was revoked after a contentious press conference last week with President Donald Trump.
The White House withdrew Acosta's credentials last Wednesday in an escalation of the Republican president's attacks on the news media, which he has called the"enemy of the people."
US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who is hearing CNN's lawsuit challenging the revocation, said Acosta's credentials must be restored while the network's case is pending.
White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in a statement that Acosta's credentials would be temporarily restored.
"Let's go back to work," Acosta said to reporters after the hearing. But Trump said that"people have to behave" and warned of future court action against reporters who do not.
"If they don't listen to the rules and regulations, we'll end up back in court and we'll win," Trump said on Friday."But more importantly, we'll just leave. And then you won't be very happy, because we do get good ratings."
CNN said in a statement on Friday that it"looked forward to a full resolution in the coming days".
In its lawsuit filed on Tuesday in US District Court in Washington, CNN said the White House violated the First Amendment right to free speech as well as the due process clause of the Constitution providing fair treatment through judicial process. The network asked for a temporary restraining order.
