Judge blocks Trump's White House media ban, orders access to be restored

An updated solidarity sign adding CNN, MSNOW and POLITICO hangs outside the Associated Press booth at the White House grounds in Washington, DC, US, on Sep 21, 2026. (File photo: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

A federal judge ordered US President Donald Trump on Thursday (Sep 24) to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico , saying his ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional.

In a major setback for Trump in one of his biggest battles with the media, US District Judge Tim Kelly issued his order in a lawsuit that the news organisations filed contesting the ban that the Republican president announced on Sep 18.

Kelly ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the outlets' press passes and blocked officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days. The judge rejected the government's assertion that the ban was motivated by national security concerns.