US Judge Orders CNN, MS NOW, Politico Access Restored

A United States judge, Timothy Kelly, has ordered the Trump administration to immediately restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after their reporters were barred from the premises.

President Donald Trump banned the three outlets from the White House on Friday, accusing them of publishing what he described as fake news, fiction and lies.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico subsequently filed a joint lawsuit seeking a temporary restraining order, arguing that the ban violated the First Amendment, which protects freedom of the press.

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CNN reporter Julia Benbrook gives a live report near the White House in Washington, DC, on September 19, 2026. Credit: AFP.

In his ruling on Thursday, Judge Timothy Kelly found that the decision to revoke the outlets’ press access likely violated their constitutional due process rights.

Kelly said the government generally must give people notice and an opportunity to be heard before taking away a constitutionally protected right.

“The ‘general rule’ is that ‘individuals must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the Government deprives them’ of a constitutionally protected interest,” Kelly wrote.

The latest legal battle comes as Trump faces growing political and foreign policy pressures, with his approval ratings at record lows, Republicans facing the possibility of losing control of Congress in November’s midterm elections and the US-Iran war continuing without a clear end.