COURT ORDERS RESTORATION OF WHITE HOUSE ACCESS FOR CNN, MS NOW AND POLITICO AFTER TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BAN

September 24, 2026

WASHINGTON: A US federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, temporarily blocking the administration’s ban on the three news organisations.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered officials to immediately return the outlets’ White House press passes and barred enforcement of the ban for 14 days while the legal challenge proceeds. He said the ban was likely unconstitutional and questioned whether the administration had provided the journalists with the due process required before their access was revoked.

The three organisations had sued President Donald Trump and members of his administration after their White House access was revoked. They argued that the action violated constitutional protections for freedom of the press and due process.

The Justice Department had argued that access to the White House is a privilege rather than an entitlement and that the president has authority to suspend access for news organisations. The administration also cited national-security concerns, but Judge Kelly said the record did not provide sufficient factual support for that justification.

The ruling is temporary and does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. The case will continue as the court examines whether the administration’s decision to exclude the three outlets was lawful.