Federal Judge Blocks White House Press Ban, Restoring Credentials for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW

A federal judge has issued a 14-day temporary restraining order blocking the White House from revoking press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico journalists. U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg Kelly ruled that the administration likely violated First Amendment rights and failed to provide due process before barring the outlets over critical coverage. Journalists returned to the White House complex Thursday afternoon after their disabled access passes were reinstated.

RMN News Legal Desk
New Delhi | September 25, 2026

Federal Court Reinstates Press Credentials for Excluded Outlets

WASHINGTON — Journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico returned to the White House on Thursday following a federal court ruling that temporarily blocked the Trump administration from enforcing a press credential revocation against the three news organizations.

The journalists were initially turned away Thursday morning, with the media outlets reporting that Secret Service personnel had confiscated their official security credentials. White House access was fully restored by early afternoon once the administration re-enabled their access passes. The legal standoff unfolded as Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Washington for high-level diplomatic talks with President Trump, adding heightened urgency to White House press coverage.

The three media organizations launched a joint lawsuit challenging the credential ban, asserting that the administration engaged in unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination by targeting them over the content of their coverage.

Judicial Findings on Due Process and First Amendment Freedom

U.S. District Judge James E. Boasberg Kelly issued a late-night temporary restraining order halting the enforcement of the White House ban. The injunction remains in effect for 14 days while the federal court conducts further proceedings on the case.

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In his ruling, Judge Kelly noted that while establishing irreparable harm and likelihood of success presents a high bar, the media plaintiffs met the legal threshold. The court highlighted several critical findings:

• Absence of Due Process: The White House failed to provide adequate procedural due process before revoking long-standing press credentials.
• Vague Conduct Standards: The administration lacked clear, objective standards for reporter conduct, describing its criteria concerning objectionable reporting as so vague that it failed to satisfy legal standards.
• Rejection of Security Justifications: The court rejected administration arguments that the outlets posed a national security risk, emphasizing that initial presidential complaints focused on negative coverage rather than security concerns.

Judge Kelly, who was appointed to the federal bench by President Trump in 2017, previously ordered the restoration of access for a CNN reporter in a similar 2018 case.

Legal counsel representing the news outlets welcomed the judicial order. Attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. stated that the decision served as a strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process, and the rule of law.

White House Position and Broad Media Solidarity

The administration initially announced the credential ban after publicly criticizing the three news organizations. During court proceedings, Justice Department attorney Michael Velchik defended executive authority, arguing that access to the White House remains a privilege rather than an absolute right and denying viewpoint discrimination. Administration representatives later noted in court filings that technical delays in credential reactivation accounted for the entry issues on Thursday morning.

The credential revocation triggered significant solidarity across the news industry. The major television network press pool suspended coverage of designated presidential pool events, and participating outlets withheld video footage until receiving assurances regarding press pool inclusion. Furthermore, roughly 50 news organizations, including The Associated Press, submitted amicus briefs supporting the immediate restoration of press access.

Parallel Debut of “Trump TV” Digital Streaming Platform

Alongside the ongoing legal dispute over White House press credentials, the administration officially launched “Trump TV,” a digital streaming platform designed to provide direct broadcast coverage of presidential remarks, policy announcements, and administration highlights. The debut reflects an evolving executive digital media strategy operating alongside judicial enforcement of traditional press corps access.