Judge Timothy Kelly Says He Will Rule Soon on Trump's White House Press Ban

US District Judge Timothy Kelly said he would rule soon on a legal challenge to President Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, after the three news organizations presented arguments against what they have described as the president's "ban on the free press," according to a live report from the Guardian.

The hearing forms part of an ongoing legal dispute over the administration's decision to exclude the outlets from White House press access, with the Department of Justice having previously cited national security concerns in defending the restrictions.

Judge Kelly did not indicate during the hearing when exactly he expects to issue his ruling, only that he intends to do so soon, leaving the outlets' access to the White House unresolved for the time being.

Separately, on the same day, Secretary of State Marco Rubio addressed President Trump's meeting with Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela's interim president, describing the meeting as short but "very important." The encounter took place at a Manhattan hotel, not far from where Rodriguez's predecessor, Nicolás Maduro, had been incarcerated, according to the report.

Rubio did not elaborate extensively on the substance of the Trump-Rodriguez meeting beyond characterizing its significance, and no further details were provided on what, if any, agreements or discussions took place between the two sides.