English
A federal judge has again blocked President Donald Trump’s administration from enforcing a media ban that excluded CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly issued the ruling on Tuesday evening, extending earlier relief and ordering the White House to immediately restore press credentials to journalists from all three outlets.
Judge Finds Outlets Likely to Succeed on Multiple Claims
In his ruling, Judge Kelly determined that the news organizations are “likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two First Amendment claims.” As a result, the court granted their motion for a preliminary injunction. The decision extends the protection already in place and preserves the status quo while the case continues.
Stay connected to every major update — subscribe and follow us on the PhoenixQ website and across our social media platforms.
However, Kelly also added an important clarification. “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 wrote.
White House Ordered to Restore Press Credentials
Kelly’s ruling requires the White House 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.” The order remains in effect until the court issues a further ruling or the injunction expires.
This is not the first time Kelly has intervened. Earlier, on September 24, he ordered the White House to reinstate access after Trump initially banned the three outlets. At that time, Kelly granted the news organizations a temporary restraining order in their lawsuit against Trump and three White House officials.
How the Ban Began
Trump announced the ban through a social media post in September. He stated he was “proud to announce that, effective immediately,” he was “banning” the three outlets from the White House. The following day, reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico arrived at the White House but were denied entry despite holding valid hard passes.
In response, the three outlets filed a lawsuit against Trump and three White House officials. Their legal complaint alleges the ban violates the First Amendment and “brazenly discriminates based on editorial viewpoint.” The case is ongoing, and the preliminary injunction keeps the outlets’ access intact while the legal proceedings move forward.
