Judge Extends Order Blocking Trump From Banning CNN, MS NOW, Politico Reporters From White House

A federal judge has extended an order blocking US President Donald Trump’s administration from banning reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, ruling that the news organisations are likely to succeed in their constitutional challenge. The decision, issued on Tuesday, October 13, allows the journalists to retain their press credentials while the legal battle continues.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who was nominated by Trump, issued a preliminary injunction after an earlier temporary order protecting the reporters’ access was due to expire. The ruling applies to 78 journalists across the three organisations and preserves their access to the White House grounds while the lawsuit remains pending.

Trump announced the ban in a September 18 social media post, accusing the outlets of publishing what he called “fake news”. The reporters were denied entry the following day after their hard-pass credentials were deactivated. The administration subsequently cited concerns about inaccurate reporting, misinformation and national security.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico challenged the move, arguing that the administration had violated their First Amendment rights to free speech and their Fifth Amendment right to due process by retaliating against coverage it disliked.

Kelly had temporarily blocked the ban on September 24, ordering the White House to restore the journalists’ credentials. In his latest ruling, he said the administration had given the outlets no advance warning before announcing the restrictions and that its national security justification came after the fact and lacked sufficient support.

The judge said the outlets would likely suffer irreparable harm without an injunction, adding that the balance of equities and the public interest favoured maintaining their access.

However, the ruling does not necessarily guarantee journalists access to every restricted location or assignment, including Air Force One. The administration has argued that White House access is a privilege and that the president has authority to impose restrictions for security and misinformation concerns.

The dispute has also affected the broader White House television press pool, with major broadcasters previously suspending coverage in solidarity with the excluded outlets. The administration’s legal team had sought to challenge the earlier order, but Kelly declined to suspend the new injunction pending an appeal.