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A US judge ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying the ban was likely unconstitutional.
A US judge ordered Trump’s administration to restore White House access for top media outlets (Photos: AFP/Reuters)
A US federal judge on Thursday ordered Donald Trump’s administration to restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling that the ban imposed on the three news organisations was likely unconstitutional.
US District Judge Tim Kelly issued the order in a lawsuit filed by the three outlets after their reporters were barred from the White House. The ruling marks a major setback for Trump in one of his latest confrontations with media organisations over coverage he has criticised.
Trump had announced the ban on September 18 and said on social media that the three outlets “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES.”
The Justice Department had sought to defend the administration’s action on national security grounds.
The three organisations had sued the Trump administration on Monday, days after their reporters were denied entry to the White House grounds.
In their joint lawsuit, CNN, MS NOW and Politico argued that the selective exclusion, based on the content of their reporting, violated the First Amendment.
Outlets Called Ban A ‘Blatant Violation’
The lawsuit described the administration’s action as a “blatant violation” of the First Amendment and argued that the government could not restrict journalists’ access because of their reporting.
The outlets said in a joint statement that they had notified the government of their lawsuit “to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes.”
“Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference,” they said.
The White House, however, maintained that access to the presidential complex was not guaranteed.
In a statement posted on X, the administration said, “The First Amendment protects their right to publish; it does not entitle them to a hard pass, briefing room seat, or place in the press pool.”
Trump similarly rejected the suggestion that his administration was attacking press freedom.
On Truth Social, he said he “cherished” a free press but accused the banned outlets of being “FAKE NEWS.”
“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” Trump wrote, while describing what he called an “assault” on fake news.
Reporters Had Their White House Access Revoked
The dispute escalated after reporters from CNN and MS NOW were turned away from the White House on Saturday and had their press badges deactivated.
CNN reporter Betsy Klein and MS NOW reporter Akayla Gardner reported that they had been denied entry when they arrived for work. Politico later said its White House reporter Cheyenne Haslett was also denied entry and had her badge confiscated.
The White House Correspondents’ Association called for the three organisations’ access to be restored immediately.
Its president, Jacqui Heinrich, warned that the issue extended beyond the three outlets, saying that a standard used to exclude one news organisation because of its coverage could potentially be applied to others in the future.
TV Pool Suspends Coverage After CNN Ban
The administration’s decision also triggered a response from other news organisations.
CNN was removed from the television pool responsible for covering the President, including his planned trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The pool is shared by five major television networks.
An email from the pool’s chair, Fox Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, said there would be no replacement coverage for CNN and that other networks would suspend their own pool coverage indefinitely.
“Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” the email said, according to AP.
It said the decision followed the White House’s position preventing CNN from carrying out its assigned duties.
Other news organisations also took steps in solidarity. The Associated Press joined The Washington Post, The New York Times and others in deciding not to publish photographs of presidential events on Monday.
The consequences were visible later that day when Trump showed off a new White House helicopter landing pad, but there were no television cameras from the affected pool present to record the event or capture his remarks.
Quick Answers
Ask News18President Donald Trump announced the ban after accusing the three news organisations of constantly writing or reporting fiction and lies. The Justice Department also defended the action by claiming the outlets posed a national security threat and trafficked in verifiable falsehoods.
Ask News18About the Author
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has more than 10 years of experience in national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
September 24, 2026, 10:58 IST
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