Judge Timothy J. Kelly heard arguments about President Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House grounds. He said he would rule “as soon as possible.”

The ban dates to last Friday, when Mr. Trump declared in a Truth Social post that he would bar the outlets because of their reporting. On Saturday, journalists were denied access, and by Monday, the outlets had sued the administration, arguing the ban violated their First Amendment rights.

A lawyer for the media outlets, Theodore J. Boutrous, told the judge that Mr. Trump’s statements made him “our lead witness.” He said such a rationale infringes on the outlets’ constitutional rights. A lawyer for the administration, Michael Velchik, countered that access to the White House is a “privilege, not a right.”

Judge Kelly appeared skeptical of the ban’s legality but declined to immediately reverse it, leaving the ban in place for now.