A U.S. federal judge has directed President Donald Trump’s administration to immediately restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, describing the ban imposed on the three media organisations as likely unconstitutional.
The decision, handed down on Thursday by U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly, came after the affected news outlets filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictions announced by Trump on September 18, 2026.
The ruling represents a major setback for the president, whose administration argued that the ban was justified on national security grounds.
Trump had defended the move on social media, accusing the three organisations of repeatedly publishing what he described as “fiction and lies.”
The dispute escalated over the weekend after journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were denied entry to the White House grounds and had their press credentials withdrawn.
Judge Kelly, a Trump appointee, has previously ruled in favour of press access. During Trump’s first term, he ordered the White House to temporarily reinstate the credentials of a CNN reporter whose pass had been revoked.
The restrictions triggered an unusual show of unity among major American broadcasters. On Monday, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC jointly suspended White House pool coverage in protest, arguing that denying access to journalists undermines the public’s right to independent reporting.
White House launches ‘Trump TV’ as US networks suspend presidential pool coverage
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the broadcasters said in a joint statement.
Support for the lawsuit also came from the White House Correspondents’ Association and nearly 50 other news organisations, which urged the court to overturn the ban.
Speaking during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Trump renewed his criticism of CNN, telling one of its reporters, “I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me. You shouldn’t be here.”
As the legal battle unfolded, the White House launched its own streaming platform, “Trump TV,” promising 24-hour coverage of presidential speeches, official events and administration activities.
Trump has repeatedly clashed with major media organisations throughout his political career, frequently accusing them of unfair coverage and referring to the press as the “enemy of the people.”
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