“We have to practice decorum,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “So we're setting up a certain standard, which is what the court is requesting.”

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The president predicted that if journalists do not abide by the new rules, “we'll end up back in court and we'll win.“

Trump appears to have directed White House officials to cut off interactions with reporters that are deemed to violate “decorum,” which he described as asking three or four questions in a row or refusing to relinquish a microphone.

“More importantly, we'll just leave. And then you won't be very happy, because we do get good ratings,” he said, adding that “people have to behave.“

In a break with past administrations, White House officials seldom hold formal, on-camera briefings for the news media.

Trump has only conducted three solo news conferences at the executive mansion during his presidency.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was appointed to the bench by Trump, on Friday granted CNN’s request to restore the press pass for Acosta, giving him regular access to the White House grounds to cover events and press conferences.

The ruling was a defeat for the White House, which revoked Acosta's pass last week after a contentious exchange at a news conference.

CNN sued the White House on Tuesday, calling the decision a violation of the reporter's First and Fifth Amendment rights to free speech and due process, respectively.

Kelly's decision only restores Acosta's press pass while CNN's lawsuit against the Trump administration makes its way through the court.

After agreeing to restore Acosta's credentials , both Trump and White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders stressed the importance of "decorum" for reporters.

But the president himself frequently lashes out at reporters or cuts them off when he does not like their questions.

Last week, he told CNN's Abby Philip she had asked a “stupid question“ when she inquired about whether he appointed Matthew Whitaker as acting attorney general to sway the Russia investigation.

After the Acosta incident, Trump accused PBS NewsHour's Yamiche Alcindor of asking a “racist question“ when she questioned him about reports of voter suppression in the midterm elections.

And when asked whether his rhetoric was encouraging political violence, Trump accused the reporter of “creating violence by your questions.“

-- Updated at 1:22 p.m.