Judge Extends White House Press Ban Block — Ruling Expected Tuesday

WASHINGTON, DC - OCTOBER 08: Lawyer for CNN, MS Now and Politico Ted Boutros leaves the E. Barrett Prettyman United States Court House on October 08, 2026 in Washington, DC. Judge Tim Kelly briefly extended CNN, MS Now and Politico's access to the White House until Tuesday while he considers a longer-term ruling. (Credit: Photo by Finn Gomez/Getty Images)

A federal judge gave CNN, MS NOW and Politico a brief but significant reprieve Thursday, extending a court order that bars the Trump administration from enforcing its White House press ban. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly — who had originally blocked the ban on September 24 — pushed the order's expiration through Tuesday, granting both sides more time before a broader ruling determines whether the block should last for the full course of the legal challenge. Thursday's hearing ran well over an hour and left little ambiguity about where the judge's sympathies lie.

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