Journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW have regained access to the White House after a federal judge temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's ban on the three news organisations, ending a six-day exclusion that prompted legal action and a suspension of shared television coverage.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday, 24 September, requiring the administration to reinstate the journalists' press credentials for 14 days.
However, reporters attempting to enter the White House were initially turned away despite the ruling, prompting their employers to request an emergency court hearing. Access was eventually restored around midday, allowing journalists to return to the grounds as Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Judge Orders Press Credentials Restored
Kelly, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, found that the outlets were likely to succeed in demonstrating that the revocation of their credentials violated Fifth Amendment due process protections. The journalists had not received adequate notice or an opportunity to challenge the decision before their credentials were revoked.
The judge also questioned the government's national security justification, finding insufficient evidence to support its argument that the outlets' reporting warranted their exclusion. The administration maintained that access to the White House was a privilege rather than an automatic right and argued that restrictions were necessary to protect sensitive information.
The ruling provides temporary relief rather than a final determination of the lawsuit, which also alleges that the ban violated First Amendment protections by targeting journalists over their reporting.
Reporters Initially Denied Entry Despite Ruling
The dispute began on 18 September when Trump announced that CNN, Politico and MS NOW would be barred from White House grounds, accusing them of publishing what he described as 'fake news.'
The following day, journalists from the three organisations were denied entry after their permanent press credentials were deactivated. The outlets filed a joint federal lawsuit on 21 September, arguing that the restrictions constituted unconstitutional retaliation against critical reporting. Even after Thursday's court order, journalists encountered difficulties entering the premises.
In a subsequent court filing, White House press operations director Micah Stopperich said officials began restoring credentials after receiving notification of the order that morning. CNN correspondent Betsy Klein and MS NOW correspondent Laura Barrón-López subsequently resumed reporting from the White House grounds, while Politico confirmed that one of its journalists had also regained access.
The judge later determined that an additional emergency hearing was unnecessary following the restoration of credentials.
TV Pool Coverage Suspended Amid Legal Fight
The original ban prompted ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC to suspend their shared television pool coverage of presidential events after CNN was excluded from its scheduled duties. The arrangement ordinarily allows broadcasters to rotate responsibility for filming presidential activities and distributing footage to other organisations.
Although the three outlets regained access Thursday, the television pool remained suspended that afternoon as participating networks sought assurances that CNN could resume its normal responsibilities.
However, the restoration of White House credentials did not resolve all access disputes. CNN reported that its journalists and representatives from MS NOW were subsequently denied permission to cover Xi Jinping's arrival for Thursday evening's state dinner, despite regaining access to the grounds earlier that day.
Kelly's temporary order remains in effect for 14 days unless modified by the court. The outlets have until 28 September to seek a preliminary injunction that could preserve their access while the wider constitutional dispute continues.
The underlying First Amendment claims remain unresolved, leaving further questions about the administration's authority to restrict journalists' access to presidential events.
