A federal judge has delivered a significant blow to the Trump administration, ordering the White House to immediately reinstate press credentials for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The ruling, issued on Thursday, temporarily lifts President Donald Trump's ban on the three media outlets, finding it was likely unconstitutional.
This decision marks a clear victory for the news organizations, which had strongly argued that the ban infringed upon their First Amendment rights. The timing coincides with President Trump's high-stakes meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, adding another layer of geopolitical significance to the domestic legal challenge.
District Judge Tim Kelly, a Trump nominee from 2017, firmly rejected the Justice Department's request for a delay, demanding that the administration "return, reinstate and restore" the revoked "hard pass" press credentials without hesitation. The temporary restraining order is effective for 14 days, and Judge Kelly emphasized that such orders are generally not subject to appeal, ensuring immediate compliance.
In his critical assessment, Kelly stated, "The record lacks factual support for Defendants' contention that the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes will in fact protect national security or that national security will be endangered if the Court orders their passes reinstated while this litigation proceeds." This directly counters the administration's stated rationale for the ban.
US President Donald Trump walks to board Marine One as he departs from the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, on Sept. 23, 2026.
Alex Wroblewski | AFP | Getty Images
President Trump had announced the ban last week via a Truth Social post, citing "cumulative stories" by the three news organizations and warning that other "Fake News Media Outlets" could face similar restrictions. However, Judge Kelly's ruling underscored the importance of maintaining the existing status quo during ongoing litigation, declining to stay the order's effective date.
This legal outcome reaffirms the critical role of a free press in a democratic society and sets a precedent against arbitrary restrictions on media access to the White House.
Disclosure: CNBC and MS NOW are divisions of Versant Media.
