CNN, MS NOW, and Politico journalists were denied access to the White House on Thursday, despite a federal judge's order to immediately restore their credentials. U.S. District Judge Tim Kelly had ruled overnight that the revocation of press credentials for these outlets likely violated journalists' constitutional due process rights.
The judge also questioned the Justice Department's national security justifications for the ban, noting President Donald Trump's own statements that the action was a response to perceived negative coverage. The outlets have requested an immediate hearing to enforce the judge's ruling.
It remained unclear whether the continued denial of access was due to intentional defiance of the court order or confusion among White House security staff. White House representatives did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A Politico reporter had their credentials confiscated, while an MS NOW reporter was blocked from entering the building. CNN reported that some of its staff members were also denied entry.
Trump had announced the ban the previous Friday, asserting on his social media platform that the outlets should not be allowed to report "FICTION and LIES" about the president, framing their coverage as a threat to national security. The three news organizations filed a lawsuit on Monday, arguing the ban violated the First Amendment's protections for free speech and a free press, as well as due process rights. A coalition of press freedom groups and numerous news organizations filed a supporting brief.
Kelly's order on Wednesday directed the Trump administration to reinstate the outlets' press passes and halt enforcement of the ban for two weeks, stating that the administration's national security arguments lacked factual support. The Justice Department had argued in a filing Tuesday that the outlets' reporting on topics such as U.S. missile stockpiles and White House construction threatened national security.
Attorneys for the three outlets called the judge's decision a "strong ruling vindicating freedom of the press, due process and the rule of law."
In solidarity with their barred colleagues, other members of the White House press pool have refused to record or disseminate the president's events until access is restored for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. This action occurred during a week when Trump was scheduled to speak at the United Nations and host Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington.
No TV pool cameras were present for Xi's arrival on the White House's South Lawn on Thursday morning, and Fox News, MS NOW, and CNN did not broadcast the leaders' arrival ceremony live.
This ban is part of a broader pattern of tension between the Trump administration and the press, which has seen unprecedented confrontations, personal attacks on journalists, and lawsuits against news organizations, diverging from past presidential administrations.
Trump also faced a legal setback on Wednesday when an Iowa judge dismissed his lawsuit against the Des Moines Register newspaper and pollster J. Ann Selzer. Trump had sued over a poll published before the November 2024 U.S. election that showed Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris leading him in Iowa. The judge ruled that the poll was legally protected speech.