Judge temporarily overturns Trump's White House media ban
A US judge has issued a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to restore press access for three news organizations. The court rejected the administration's national security justification for the ban, citing a lack of due process.
Why it matters
This ruling reinforces the legal protections for press freedom and limits the executive branch's ability to unilaterally restrict media access to government facilities.
Image source, Getty Images Published 24 September 2026, 06:38 BST Updated 3 minutes ago A judge has ordered the White House to immediately reinstate press access for three news organisations barred from the building last week by US President Donald Trump.
A District of Columbia court issued a temporary restraining order against the ban, meaning CNN, MS NOW and Politico must have their access restored for 14 days.
The three outlets had launched a legal challenge which called the ban unconstitutional after their reporters had their hard passes for the White House confiscated and were denied access.
The Trump administration sought to defend the move in court, accusing the outlets of publishing false information and threatening national security - an argument the court rejected.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in