Judge Restored Press Access to White House
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order granting Politico, CNN, and MS NOW their press credentials.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Law
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Judge Tim Kelly has ordered the White House to immediately restore press access to Politico, MS NOW, and CNN. This ruling follows a lawsuit filed by the news outlets challenging the revocation of their credentials.
Why it matters
The court rejected the administration’s claim that the ban was necessary for national security, noting that no record supported such a motivation before the legal challenge. This decision directly challenges the executive branch's authority to restrict press access based on reporting standards.
The federal court mandated the immediate restoration of hard passes to the affected organizations after finding the government's security justification unsupported. President Donald Trump has publicly stated his intent to appeal the ruling.
The players
Tim Kelly
He is a federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump who issued the temporary restraining order.
Donald Trump
He is the current President of the United States who plans to appeal the court decision.
CNN
This is a major news organization that had its White House press access revoked and later restored.
Politico
This is a political news outlet that was among the organizations granted a restoration of press access.
MS NOW
This news organization regained its White House hard pass following the recent federal court ruling.
The details
The Trump administration previously revoked the press passes citing national security concerns and dissatisfaction with the negativity and truthfulness of reporting. The court found these justifications insufficient to warrant the removal of access.
Timeline
News outlets filed their lawsuit against the administration on Monday.
The order to restore access was issued on September 24, 2026.
Political Context
This case follows the pattern set by previous legal challenges regarding press access at the White House. Critics argue that such executive actions threaten First Amendment protections, while supporters maintain that the administration retains the right to manage credentials.
This decision preserves the public's access to reporting directly from the White House grounds. Taxpayers remain subject to shifting administration policies regarding which news entities are permitted to cover federal events.
The takeaway
The court's decision highlights the legal limits of executive authority when restricting members of the press. This development reinforces the role of the judiciary in balancing administrative security concerns with freedom of the press.
Further reading
For additional context on legal developments, visit our Law section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The New Republic.
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