In this Nov. 14, 2018, photo, CNN's Jim Acosta walks into federal court in Washington, to attend a hearing on a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's administration. A judge is expected to... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this Nov. 14, 2018, photo, CNN's Jim Acosta walks into federal court in Washington, to attend a hearing on a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's administration. A judge is expected to announce Friday whether he will order the Trump administration to return the White House press credentials... (Associated Press) 
 
 In this Nov. 14, 2018, photo, CNN's Jim Acosta walks into federal court in Washington, to attend a hearing on a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's administration. A judge is expected to announce Friday whether he will order the Trump administration to return the White House press credentials... (Associated Press) In this Nov. 14, 2018, photo, CNN's Jim Acosta walks into federal court in Washington, to attend a hearing on a legal challenge against President Donald Trump's administration. A judge is expected to... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta. 
 
 U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee of President Donald Trump, announced his decision following a hearing in Washington. The judge said Acosta's credentials would be returned immediately and reactivated to allow him access to the White House. 
 
 CNN had asked the judge to force the White House to immediately hand back the credentials that give Acosta, CNN's chief White House correspondent, access to the White House complex for press briefings and other events. CNN asked for Acosta's credentials restored while a lawsuit over his credentials' revocation goes forward. 
 
 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. 
 
 The White House revoked Acosta's credentials after he and Trump tangled during a press conference last week. 
 
 The judge said the government could not say who initially decided to revoke Acosta's hard pass. The White House had spelled out its reasons for revoking his credentials in a tweet from White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and in a statement after CNN filed its lawsuit. But the judge said those "belated efforts were hardly sufficient to satisfy due process." 
 
 The judge also found that Acosta suffered "irreparable harm," dismissing the government's argument that CNN could just send other reporters to cover the White House in Acosta's place. 
 
 The judge told attorneys to file additional court papers in the case by Monday. 
 
 Trump has made his dislike of CNN clear since before he took office and continuing into his presidency. He has described the network as "fake news" both on Twitter and in public comments. 
 
 At last week's press conference, which followed the midterm elections, Trump was taking questions from reporters and called on Acosta, who asked about Trump's statements about a caravan of migrants making its way to the U.S.-Mexico border. After a terse exchange, Trump told Acosta, "That's enough," several times while calling on another reporter. 
 
 Acosta attempted to ask another question about special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation and initially declined to give up a hand-held microphone to a White House intern. Trump responded to Acosta by saying he wasn't concerned about the investigation, calling it a "hoax," and then criticized Acosta, calling him a "rude, terrible person." 
 
 The White House pulled Acosta's credentials hours later. 
 
 The White House's explanations for why it seized Acosta's credentials have shifted over the last week. 
 
 Sanders initially explained the decision by accusing Acosta of making improper physical contact with the intern seeking to grab the microphone. 
 
 But that rationale disappeared after witnesses backed Acosta's account that he was just trying to keep the microphone, and Sanders distributed a doctored video that made it appear Acosta was more aggressive than he actually was. On Tuesday, Sanders accused Acosta of being unprofessional by trying to dominate the questioning at the news conference. ||||| CNN's Jim Acosta speaks to journalists on the North Lawn upon returning back to the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to... (Associated Press) 
 
 CNN's Jim Acosta speaks to journalists on the North Lawn upon returning back to the White House in Washington, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to immediately return Acosta’s credentials. He found that Acosta was “irreparably harmed” and dismissed... (Associated Press) 
 
 WASHINGTON (AP) — The Latest on the legal challenge to the White House's decision to strip CNN reporter Jim Acosta of his White House press credentials (all times local): 
 
 1:20 p.m. 
 
 President Donald Trump says the White House is "writing up rules and regulations" for reporters after a judge ordered the administration to restore credentials for CNN reporter Jim Acosta. 
 
 Trump told reporters Friday that "people have to behave." He added that if journalists "don't listen to the rules and regulations, we will end up back in court and we will win." 
 
 Asked what he meant by rules and regulations, Trump said: "Decorum. You can't take three questions and four questions. And just stand up and not sit down." 
 
 Trump said he wants "total freedom of the press," but added "you have to act with respect." 
 
 The White House said Friday that it would "temporarily reinstate" the credentials that were revoked after Acosta and Trump tangled during a press conference last week. 
 
 12:40 p.m. 
 
 CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta says all he wants to do is go back to work covering "the guy in there," referring to President Donald Trump. 
 
 More than 50 members of the White House press corps greeted Acosta as he strode through the northwest gate of the presidential compound. 
 
 A federal judge on Friday ordered the administration to restore the credentials that were revoked after Acosta and Trump tangled during a press conference last week. 
 
 Acosta says journalists need to know that in the United States their First Amendment rights and freedom of the press "are sacred" and protected by the Constitution. 
 
 He says he's grateful for the judge's ruling, that it was a test and he thinks the media passed the test. 
 
 Acosta says: "This is just any other day at the White House for me and I would like to get back to work." 
 
 ___ 
 
 11:55 a.m. 
 
 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. 
 
 __ 
 
 10:47 a.m. 
 
 CNN's Jim Acosta has thanked the judge who ordered the Trump administration to immediately return his White House press credentials. 
 
 Acosta said Friday that he wanted to thank fellow reporters who supported him and the judge for the "decision he made today." 
 
 U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to immediately return Acosta's credentials while CNN's lawsuit continues. 
 
 He found that Acosta was "irreparably harmed" and dismissed the government's argument that CNN could send another reporter in Acosta's place to cover the White House. 
 
 In brief remarks after the ruling, Acosta said, "Let's go back to work!" 
 
 __ 
 
 10:30 a.m. 
 
 A federal judge in Washington is ordering the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta. 
 
 U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly announced his decision Friday morning. 
 
 CNN had asked that Acosta's credentials be returned while a lawsuit over their revocation goes forward. 
 
 The network's chief White House correspondent has clashed repeatedly with Trump and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in briefings over the last two years. But the White House pulled his credentials last week following a combative press conference in which he clashed with Trump. 
 
 The judge is a Trump appointee. 
 
 __ 
 
 12:50 a.m. 
 
 It's a waiting game in the legal case about whether a federal judge will order the Trump administration to return the White House press credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta. 
 
 CNN has asked U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by President Donald Trump, for an order that would force the White House to immediately hand back credentials that give reporters access to the White House complex. 
 
 CNN wants Acosta's credentials returned while a lawsuit over their revocation goes forward. 
 
 Acosta has clashed repeatedly with Trump and press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders in briefings over the past two years. The White House pulled his credential last week following a combative press conference. 
 
 Trump has made his dislike of CNN clear since before he took office and continuing into his presidency. He's described the network as "fake news" both on Twitter and in public comments.
– Score one for CNN over the White House. A federal judge on Friday ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the White House press credentials of reporter Jim Acosta, per the AP. US District Court Judge Timothy Kelly, an appointee of President Trump, announced his decision following a hearing in Washington. CNN had asked for Acosta's credentials restored while a lawsuit over his credentials' revocation goes forward. “I just want to thank all my colleagues in the press who supported me this week," said Acosta, per the Washington Post. "I want to thank the judge [for this ruling]. And let’s go back to work.” The White House revoked Acosta's credentials after he and Trump tangled during a press conference last week. The judge said the government could not say who initially decided to revoke Acosta's hard pass. The White House had spelled out its reasons for revoking his credentials in a tweet from White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders, who accused Acosta of "placing his hands" on a female intern trying to take away his microphone. But the judge said those "belated efforts were hardly sufficient to satisfy due process." The judge also found that Acosta suffered "irreparable harm," dismissing the government's argument that CNN could just send other reporters to cover the White House in Acosta's place. (Video of the dispute was controversial, too.)