A federal judge just sided with CNN and ordered the White House to restore Jim Acosta's press pass

Associated Press/Manuel Balce Ceneta

CNN's Jim Acosta walks into federal court in Washington, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, to attend a hearing on legal challenge against President Donald Trump's administration.

• A federal judge on Friday ordered the White House to restore the press pass of CNN's Jim Acosta.
• The Trump administration revoked Acosta's credentials after a combative exchange with President Donald Trump at a press conference last week.
• CNN sued the Trump administration, arguing it had violated Acosta's First Amendment and Fifth Amendment rights.

A federal judge on Friday granted CNN's request for a temporary restraining order to restore the press pass of its White House correspondent, Jim Acosta.

The Trump administration had revoked Acosta's credentials after a combative exchange at a press conference last week, in which Acosta and President Donald Trump argued over a question Acosta had asked.

Trump called Acosta a "rude, terrible person," and a White House staffer attempted to grab the microphone from Acosta's hand, through he twisted away from her.

CNN sued the Trump administration, arguing that revoking Acosta's press pass violated the First Amendment right of freedom of the press, as well as CNN's and Acosta's Fifth Amendment right to due process.

Read more: Fox News announces it's supporting CNN's lawsuit against the Trump administration for revoking Jim Acosta's press pass

The Trump administration pushed back, arguing that it has broad discretion over reporters' White House press credentials and that the First Amendment doesn't grant Acosta the right to enter the White House.

Though US District Judge Timothy Kelly's order on Friday didn't rule on whether Acosta's constitutional rights had been violated, he said that "irreparable harm" had been done by revoking the pass and granted CNN's request for the temporary restraining order.

Kelly's order will remain in effect while CNN's lawsuit proceeds. Outside the courthouse after the order, Acosta thanked his supporters.

"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. Let's go back to work," he said.