Archive · 24 Sep 2026
Judge Orders Temporary Restoration of Trump Press Access
President Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
The news organizations said the ban punished them for their reporting and violated their constitutional rights.
They asked a judge to let them return while their lawsuit continues.
Judge Timothy Kelly questioned whether the White House gave them a fair chance to respond before removing their access.
Government lawyers said letters sent afterward explained the reasons for the ban.
Kelly said those letters may have come too late because the passes had already been revoked.
He ordered the White House to restore the outlets’ access temporarily for 14 days.
The administration says White House access is a privilege and points to presidential authority and national security concerns.
The case resembles Kelly’s 2018 decision restoring CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass.
Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to temporarily restore CNN, MS NOW and Politico press access.
The 14-day temporary restraining order followed a hearing on the outlets’ request for immediate access restoration.
Kelly questioned whether the administration provided advance notice and an opportunity to contest the revocations.
The outlets argue the ban violates First Amendment and due process protections, while the Justice Department cites presidential authority and national security.
The dispute echoes Kelly’s 2018 order restoring CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass.
- Who
- CNN, MS NOW, Politico, President Donald Trump, Judge Timothy Kelly, the Justice Department and supporting press-freedom organizations.
- What
- A federal judge temporarily ordered the White House to restore the three outlets’ press access while their lawsuit challenging the ban proceeds.
- When
- The outlets sued on Monday; Trump announced the ban on Friday, identified in one report as September 18; the hearing and order came on Wednesday.
- Where
- Federal court in Washington and the White House.
- Why
- The outlets say the ban unlawfully targets their editorial viewpoints and violates free speech and due process rights; the administration cites presidential authority, alleged problematic reporting and national security concerns.
News Organizations and Press-Freedom Groups
Trump Administration
Constitutional protections
News Organizations and Press-Freedom Groups
CNN, MS NOW and Politico say the ban is a direct assault on the First Amendment and violates their due process rights. Supporting groups said restricting access because of perceived editorial viewpoint conflicts with established Supreme Court principles.
Trump Administration
The administration argues that White House access is a privilege rather than an entitlement and that the president has authority to suspend news organizations’ access.
Fair procedure
News Organizations and Press-Freedom Groups
The outlets say they received no meaningful advance notice or opportunity to challenge the decision before their press passes were revoked.
Trump Administration
The Justice Department says letters sent on Tuesday explained the reasons for the revocations and provided a process to contest the cited incidents.
Justification for the ban
News Organizations and Press-Freedom Groups
The outlets’ attorney said national security concerns were being used as a post hoc pretext for viewpoint discrimination.
Trump Administration
Trump accused the outlets of reporting “FICTION and LIES,” while the administration cited reporting it said created national security risks and defended the restrictions on that basis.
- Organizations affected
- CNN, MS NOW and Politico
- Judge
- U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly
- Court action
- A temporary restraining order directing the administration to restore the outlets’ press access
- Order duration
- 14 days
- Outlets’ argument
- The ban violates First Amendment protections for free speech and a free press, as well as due process rights
- Administration’s position
- White House access is a privilege rather than an entitlement, and the president has authority to suspend it
- Earlier related case
- In 2018, Kelly ordered the White House to restore CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass
- Supporting groups
- The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Reuters, The Washington Post and Fox News were among signatories to a supporting brief
