WorldPosted at: Sep 24 2026 11:35PM


Federal judge blocks Trump admin order barring CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House but ban remains

Washington, Sep 24 (UNI) A federal judge early Thursday temporarily blocked senior Trump administration officials from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, ordering the immediate restoration of the outlets' press credentials while their lawsuit against President Donald Trump's ban proceeds.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order after the three news organisations argued that the ban violated their First Amendment and due process rights.
The ruling came after journalists from all three outlets reported that they were still being denied entry to the White House several hours after the order was issued.
Politico said one of its reporters was stopped by the Secret Service and had his press credential taken away, while CNN and MS NOW also reported that some of their journalists were denied access. Their lawyers asked Kelly for an emergency hearing, saying the administration had already violated the court's order.
In his eight-page ruling, Kelly said the news organisations were likely to succeed in showing that their due process rights had been violated because they were not given prior notice of the ban or an opportunity to challenge it.
He also questioned the administration's claim that the restrictions were motivated by national security concerns. Kelly noted that several reports cited by the White House as grounds for the ban were routine stories and, in some cases, months old.
"[Nothing] in the record that predates this suit suggests that the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes was motivated by national security concerns," Kelly wrote. He said Trump's own explanation for the ban had focused instead on what the president described as the outlets' lack of truthfulness and negative coverage.
The judge also pointed to previous appellate decisions establishing that journalists are entitled to notice and an opportunity to respond before their White House hard passes are suspended or revoked.
In court on Wednesday, Kelly said "I think it is fair to say" that the process required in those earlier cases "wasn't followed here".
The three organisations sued the Trump administration on Monday, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional retaliation for their reporting. Their lawyers said Trump's statements showed that the restrictions were intended to pressure the outlets into providing more favourable coverage.
CBS News and other media organisations filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the outlets, arguing that the administration's explanation for the ban amounted to viewpoint discrimination.
The Justice Department has defended the restrictions, arguing that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right and that the administration had compelling reasons to impose "minimum standards" of professionalism and protect sensitive information.
The department also said the outlets had published material that threatened national security or spread what the administration described as falsehoods.
Letters sent by the White House to CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Tuesday cited alleged violations of standards of professionalism and decorum and gave the organisations until Friday evening to respond.
Kelly said one of the standards cited by the White House was so vague that it provided almost no support for the administration's case.
He also wrote that the government had provided little evidence to support its claim that the outlets' reporting posed a national security threat, adding that the letters left unclear whether the administration was relying primarily on national security concerns or allegations of false reporting.
Trump announced the ban on Friday in a Truth Social post, accusing CNN, MS NOW and Politico of repeatedly publishing "FAKE NEWS". Reporters from the three organisations were turned away from the White House on Saturday and had their credentials revoked.
Trump again criticised CNN and MS NOW on Thursday, accusing the outlets of publishing false reports and calling one MS NOW report "FAKE NEWS".
The dispute has already affected White House press operations. CNN had been due to travel with Trump to New York as part of the White House television pool for the UN General Assembly, but was removed from the assignment after the ban. CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox News subsequently suspended the television pool in solidarity with CNN.
The latest legal fight follows previous clashes between the Trump administration and news organisations over press access.
Last year, Trump barred Associated Press journalists from certain White House events after the news agency continued using "Gulf of Mexico" rather than Trump's preferred "Gulf of America". A federal judge initially ordered the White House to restore access, although an appeals court later allowed restrictions in certain limited areas such as the Oval Office and Air Force One.
The court said journalists could not be excluded from facilities generally open to the press because of their viewpoint.
The administration has also tightened media access at the Pentagon. After a federal judge struck down parts of a restrictive credentialing policy, the Defense Department introduced a requirement for journalists on Pentagon grounds to be escorted by government personnel. An appeals court has allowed that policy to remain in place.
Trump's first administration also faced a legal challenge over former CNN reporter Jim Acosta. The White House revoked Acosta's press pass in 2018, but a federal judge ordered it restored after finding that his due process rights had been violated.
The Justice Department is expected to appeal Kelly's ruling as the wider case continues.
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Tags: #Federal judge blocks Trump admin order barring CNN# MS NOW# Politico from White House but ban remains
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