Friday, September 25, 2026 - A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to temporarily restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, finding that the outlets are likely to succeed in their claim that their press credentials were revoked without constitutionally adequate due process.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary
restraining order requiring administration officials to immediately reinstate
the White House hard-pass credentials held by employees of the three news
organisations. The order will remain in effect for 14 days unless the court
orders otherwise.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW and
Politico after President Donald Trump announced on September 18 that the
outlets would be barred from the White House. The organisations sued the
administration in federal court, alleging violations of their First Amendment
rights and due process protections.
During a hearing on Wednesday, September 24, Kelly pointed
to previous court decisions establishing that journalists must generally
receive notice and an opportunity to respond before their White House press
credentials are suspended or revoked.
The judge concluded that the administration had not provided
the outlets with adequate due process before withdrawing their credentials. He
also questioned the government's national security justification, writing that
there was little evidence showing the revocations had initially been motivated
by national security concerns.
Trump had accused the three organizations of publishing what
he described as “FICTION and LIES,” while administration lawyers argued that
their reporting presented national security concerns. The Justice Department
defended the restrictions in court, arguing that White House access is a
privilege rather than an entitlement and that the president has broad authority
over access to the complex.
Lawyers for the news organizations disputed that position,
arguing that the government could not withdraw established press access because
of disagreement with an outlet’s reporting or editorial viewpoint. A coalition
of press freedom organizations and dozens of news outlets also backed CNN, MS
NOW and Politico in the dispute. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the
Press and about 50 news organizations filed a brief supporting the plaintiffs.
Kelly’s temporary order does not resolve the underlying
lawsuit. Instead, it restores the outlets’ access while the court continues
considering their broader constitutional challenge to the administration’s
decision. The ruling requires the affected credentials to be reinstated
immediately and prevents enforcement of the ban during the 14-day period,
unless the court issues a further order.
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