U.S. judge backs CNN, MS Now, Politico access to White House
A U.S. federal judge has blocked the Trump administration from revoking the White House press credentials of CNN, MS Now, and Politico. The court ruled that the ban likely violated the First Amendment rights of the journalists.
Why it matters
This ruling reinforces the legal protections for press freedom and limits executive power regarding media access to government institutions.
A federal judge blocked on Tuesday (October 13, 2026) the White House from banning CNN , MS Now and Politico journalists, following U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to ban the news outlets last month.
District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the Trump administration must grant the journalists access to the White House while the lawsuit filed by the three outlets against the ban proceeds.
Judge Kelly said the outlets were "likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two First Amendment claims."
The First Amendment upholds the right to a free press.
Mr. Trump barred CNN , MS NOW and Politico from the White House on September 18 for distributing what he called "fake news" and "fiction and lies."
The three outlets filed a joint lawsuit seeking a preliminary injunction against the ban.
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7 other newsrooms covered this event. We read each version separately.
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