The judge hearing a challenge to President Trump’s attempt to block three news outlets from the White House heard arguments from both sides on Wednesday before announcing that he would issue his ruling later. The outlets will remain barred from the complex while the judge, Timothy J. Kelly of Federal District Court in Washington, weighs the arguments.

Mr. Trump’s statements about his attempt to bar three news outlets — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — made him “our lead witness,” a lawyer for the organizations told the judge on Wednesday. A lawyer for the administration countered that the outlets were embracing an “absurd interpretation of the First Amendment.”

Theodore J. Boutrous, the lawyer for the news organizations, pointed out that Mr. Trump has repeatedly said he was blocking the outlets because he took exception to their journalism. “He keeps proving our point,” Mr. Boutrous said. The outlets have asked Judge Timothy J. Kelly to restore their access to the White House. A Justice Department lawyer, Michael Velchik, argued that the ban should remain in effect, saying it had been imposed on national security grounds.

Judge Kelly, who was nominated by Mr. Trump in 2017, has experience in a similar case. He ruled against the president in a similar dispute with CNN the next year. In announcing his ban last week, Mr. Trump said he was fed up with “purposely negative stories.” The three outlets filed suit on Monday, saying Mr. Trump’s ban “brazenly discriminates based on editorial viewpoint.”