A federal judge in the United States has ruled that the Trump administration must restore White House access to CNN, MSNBC, and Politico immediately. The decision was made on September 24, 2026, by US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who found that the journalists were deprived of their press credentials without constitutionally adequate due process. The three news organizations had argued that the ban was retaliation for coverage President Donald Trump disliked.
The ban was implemented after President Trump announced it on social media last Friday, accusing CNN, MSNBC, and Politico of producing "fake news". The three outlets responded by filing a federal lawsuit, arguing that the administration had violated both their First Amendment protections and due-process rights. Their reporters were denied entry to the White House the following day after their press credentials were deactivated.
Judge Kelly's ruling deals a major blow to the administration's defense of the ban, which argued that President Trump could restrict access to the White House and invoked national security concerns over the outlets' reporting. The administration had cited reports concerning the Iran war, a leak investigation, and Trump's planned White House ballroom. However, the judge found that the administration failed to provide the affected journalists with adequate notice and an opportunity to contest the withdrawal of their access.
During the emergency hearing, Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik argued that CNN, MSNBC, and Politico had endangered national security through some of their reporting and that Trump had authority to determine who could access the White House. However, attorney Ted Boutrous, representing the three news organizations, argued that the national security justification appeared only after the outlets challenged the ban in court.
The decision follows an emergency hearing on Wednesday in which Kelly repeatedly focused on whether the administration had followed established legal procedures before cutting off access. The judge had earlier pointed to existing federal precedents governing White House press credentials, including a case arising from Trump's first administration involving former CNN correspondent Jim Acosta.
Kelly had presided over that dispute and ordered Acosta's access restored after finding due-process violations. The judge highlighted the same issue in his ruling, noting the timing of a CNN report and the later renewal of reporter Betsy Klein's credentials. "None of Defendants' arguments convinces the Court that Plaintiffs are not likely to succeed on their due process claim", Kelly wrote.
The ruling is a significant development in the ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and the three news organizations. The administration had initially defended the move as an exercise of presidential authority over access to the White House but later advanced a national security justification. The decision is likely to have implications for the relationship between the White House and the media.
Key points
- A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access to CNN, MSNBC, and Politico immediately.
- The judge found that the administration failed to provide the affected journalists with adequate notice and an opportunity to contest the withdrawal of their access.
- The decision deals a major blow to the administration's defense of the ban, which argued that President Trump could restrict access to the White House and invoked national security concerns.
