A US federal judge has extended an order blocking President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, allowing the news outlets to retain their press access as their lawsuit proceeds.
US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued the ruling on Tuesday evening. He granted the outlets’ request for a preliminary injunction after finding that they were likely to win their legal challenge.
Kelly wrote that the outlets are “likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two First Amendment claims.”
However, the judge stressed that his decision did not dismiss the president’s concerns about media coverage or national security.
“Still, no one should interpret the Court’s decision to suggest that President Trump’s concerns about accuracy and fairness in the media’s reporting are unfounded, or that the government is powerless when its true aim is to protect national security when classified information is unlawfully disclosed,” he noted.
Judge previously ordered restoration of press access
Kelly had ordered the White House to restore the outlets’ access on September 24 after Trump announced the ban earlier that month.
He directed the administration to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore the White House ‘hard pass’ press credentials held by employees of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO that were revoked on or about September 18, 2026, until further Order of the Court or the expiration of this Temporary Restraining Order.”
The latest ruling extends the legal protection as the case continues.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued Trump
Trump announced the ban in a September social media post. He said he was “proud to announce that, effective immediately,” he was “banning” the three outlets from the White House.
Reporters from the organisations arrived the following day but could not enter the White House, despite holding hard-pass credentials.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently sued Trump and three White House officials over the restrictions.
The outlets argued that the ban violated the First Amendment and “brazenly discriminates based on editorial viewpoint.”
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