Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House
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Federal judge temporarily blocks Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House
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Judge orders White House access restored for CNN, Politico and MS NOW after Trump ban; outlets returned following chaotic morning locked out

A judge has ordered the restoration of White House access for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW after they were barred by President Trump's administration. The outlets regained entry following a chaotic morning where access was still being denied, highlighting ongoing tensions between the media and the White House.

Yahoo Yahoo24 September 2026 · 17:55 UTC
CuriousCats Full Story
Key Insight
“The judge's order blocked President Trump's ban, allowing CNN, Politico and MS NOW to regain access. The chaotic morning locked out had left the three outlets unable to cover the White House until the ruling.”
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“CNN, Politico and MS NOW regained access to the White House after a judge's order blocked President Trump's ban.”
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EARLIER IN THE STORY:
Judge orders White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after Trump's ban; outlets allowed back Thursday
NBC NewsNBC News
Judge orders White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after Trump's ban; outlets allowed back Thursday

CNN, MS NOW and Politico journalists were allowed back at the White House on Thursday after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly reinstated their access for 14 days.

CnnCnn PoliticoDue Process
2026-09-24
TL;DR by CuriousCats.ai
  • President Trump announced a ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, citing their reporting as 'FAKE NEWS.'
  • The outlets filed a lawsuit challenging the ban, arguing it was retaliation and intended to intimidate them.
  • U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order reinstating access for 14 days, ruling the ban was likely unconstitutional.
  • On Thursday morning, reporters from the banned outlets were still prohibited from entering the White House.
  • Judge Kelly ordered the administration to respond in writing by 12:30 p.m. after journalists were turned away.
  • White House press operations director Micah Stopperich stated that access was restored by turning on hard badges.
CuriousCats
RELATED COVERAGE:
Judge orders White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico; reporters say they were still denied entry hours later
Yahoo🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 15:27 UTC
Judge orders White House to restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico; reporters say they were still denied entry hours later

The temporary restraining order lasts 14 days, and the outlets' lawsuit argues the ban violates due process. Hours after the ruling, Secret Service agents confiscated hard passes from journalists, prompting the outlets to request an immediate hearing.

Reuters🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 13:21 UTC
Politico reporter barred from White House despite judge's order to restore access for Politico, CNN, and MS NOW; outlets denied access

The judge's order, issued after President Donald Trump banned the outlets, required immediate restoration of access, but the White House has not complied. This defiance escalates the legal standoff over press access, with Politico reporting the continued denial.

Federal judge orders Trump administration to temporarily restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico; Tucker Carlson discusses his MAGA split
NPR🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 11:52 UTC
Federal judge orders Trump administration to temporarily restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico; Tucker Carlson discusses his MAGA split

Judge Kelly, a Trump appointee, said the outlets were likely to succeed in showing their hard passes were revoked without due process, and he dismissed national security concerns as 'so vague it hardly does the trick.' The ruling came after an emergency hearing where the outlets' lawyer called the ban 'probably the clearest case in history' of viewpoint discrimination.

Judge blocks Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico; U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, calls it unconstitutional
Yahoo🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 08:25 UTC
Judge blocks Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico; U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, calls it unconstitutional

The temporary block lasts 14 days, during which the three outlets' access is restored. Judge Kelly rejected Trump's national security justification, marking a rare judicial rebuke of the president's press restrictions.

Judge weighs restoring White House press access for CNN, Politico, MS NOW after Trump ban; due process concerns raised at emergency hearing
Oregon Public Broadcasting - OPB🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 00:06 UTC
Judge weighs restoring White House press access for CNN, Politico, MS NOW after Trump ban; due process concerns raised at emergency hearing

Judge Timothy J. Kelly, nominated by Trump in 2017, said the White House appeared to have violated the outlets' due process rights when it abruptly blocked journalists with permanent credentials. Lawyer Theodore J. Boutrous called the ban 'probably the clearest case in history' of viewpoint discrimination, while the Justice Department argued access is a privilege, not a right.

Federal judge orders White House to lift Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico; hours later, reporters from all three still denied access
Yahoo🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 14:09 UTC
Federal judge orders White House to lift Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico; hours later, reporters from all three still denied access

CNN's Betsy Klein and a photojournalist were turned away after multiple attempts, while MS NOW's Laura Barrón-López had her pass confiscated. Politico also reported a Secret Service confiscation, indicating the ruling has not yet been enforced.

Judge temporarily overturns Trump's White House media ban, ordering reinstatement of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico access for 14 days
BBC🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 10:10 UTC
Judge temporarily overturns Trump's White House media ban, ordering reinstatement of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico access for 14 days

The court ruled the ban likely violated due process rights, citing lack of factual support for national security claims. Forty-nine media organizations, including CBS News and Fox News, filed a brief supporting the outlets, while major TV networks pulled from pool duties in protest.

Judge weighs restoring White House press access for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW after Trump's ban; delays ruling as outlets cite First Amendment violations
NPR🇺🇸24 September 2026 · 03:09 UTC
Judge weighs restoring White House press access for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW after Trump's ban; delays ruling as outlets cite First Amendment violations

The White House argues access is a privilege, not a right, and cites national security concerns, while the outlets' lawyer calls the ban 'probably the clearest case in history' of viewpoint discrimination. The judge previously restored Jim Acosta's credentials in Trump's first term, and the administration is also seeking to overturn a 1977 appeals ruling.

Trump leans on 'national security' to justify media ban, citing Iran War coverage and his ballroom; DOJ argues access is 'a privilege—not a right'
Yahoo News Canada🇺🇸23 September 2026 · 15:15 UTC
Trump leans on 'national security' to justify media ban, citing Iran War coverage and his ballroom; DOJ argues access is 'a privilege—not a right'

The DOJ's filing claims the outlets 'have threatened national security and spread falsehoods,' citing a 'non-exhaustive list' of incidents. The ban came hours after aide Natalie Harp showed Trump unflattering news coverage, and a hearing on the outlets' request for a temporary order is set for Wednesday.

American delegation walks out during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's address to the United Nations General Assembly
The Hill🇺🇸23 September 2026 · 21:06 UTC
American delegation walks out during Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian's address to the United Nations General Assembly

Other notable speakers at UNGA today include Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Separately, a Senate Judiciary Committee panel held a hearing on AI-powered surveillance cameras, with Sen. Josh Hawley criticizing executives for not showing up.

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