Judge indefinitely blocks Trump from banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico from White House

A federal judge on Tuesday (Oct 13) ordered the Trump administration to allow journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico to access the White House while a lawsuit challenging President Donald Trump’s press ban moves through the courts. US District Judge Timothy Kelly directed the administration not to enforce its September 18, 2026, decision to revoke the White House “hard pass” press credentials held by employees of the three news organisations. The ruling extends protections for the outlets as the legal battle continues and sets the stage for a potential government appeal.

Kelly’s earlier order blocking the ban was due to expire on Tuesday.

Why did Trump ban the three media organisations from the White House?

Trump has repeatedly defended the decision to restrict the outlets, pointing to what he described as their “negative” or “one-sided” coverage of his administration.

In court filings, however, the Justice Department presented an additional justification, arguing that the decision was linked to national security concerns. It cited reporting by the organisations on the Iran war, construction of a ballroom in the White House’s East Wing and the midterm Republican convention.

The news organisations have argued that the ban interferes with their ability to report on the president and risks discouraging other media outlets from pursuing critical coverage.

Judge questions government’s rationale

During a hearing last Thursday, Kelly questioned the differing explanations offered by Trump and government lawyers for the decision. The judge described it as “unusual” for the decision-maker to have publicly cited one set of reasons for an action while the government subsequently advanced another explanation in court.

Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik argued that the president has discretion to remove reporters or news organisations from the White House. He also said CNN had been on notice for years, pointing to Trump’s repeated description of the network as “fake news”.

“Trump doesn’t mind negative press stories if he deserves them,” Velchik told the court.

Media organisations challenge the ban

Ted Boutrous Jr., the lawyer representing the three news organisations, argued that Trump had personally made the decision and had repeatedly explained his reasons in public. “We know what he decided. He said it over and over again,” Boutrous said, adding that the president had issued the ban himself.

Boutrous also questioned the basis for the decision, saying the only explanation he could come up with was that the president had “woke up on the wrong side of the bed” and decided to impose the restrictions.

The latest order keeps the three organisations’ White House access in place as the case proceeds.