Politics
Judge allows CNN, MS Now and Politico White House access during Trump press-ban lawsuit
October 14, 2026 at 05:40 AM · Updated 2d ago
3 reports · over 12 hours
AJAl Jazeera English
Judge extends White House access for US media outlets amid Trump standoff
(opens the publisher’s site)
TGThe Guardian
Judge extends White House access to banned media outlets CNN, MS Now and Politico
(opens the publisher’s site)
CNCNN
Judge extends order giving CNN, MS NOW and Politico access to the White House
(opens the publisher’s site)A federal judge ordered the White House to keep granting banned outlets CNN, MS Now and Politico access while their lawsuit over the president's press ban proceeds.
- US District Judge Timothy Kelly on Tuesday granted a preliminary injunction blocking the September 18 revocation of the outlets' White House "hard pass" press credentials.
- The news organizations sued on September 21, arguing the ban violated due process and First Amendment rights, which Kelly wrote they would "likely succeed" on.
- Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik told the court the ban fell "within the discretion of the president"; the department cited a national security rationale in filings.
- Media lawyer Theodore Boutrous said Trump had admitted in public that he banned the outlets to punish reporting he disapproves of.
- Judge Kelly extended the injunction until a final ruling or an appeals decision, preserving the outlets' White House access.
- Kelly rejected the administration's national security justification, saying the ban rested on viewpoint-based grounds violating the First Amendment.