Judge bars White House from enforcing Trump media ban
Politics
Wednesday, October 14, 2026
· Updated Oct 14, 2026 00:53
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a preliminary injunction on Tuesday barring the White House from enforcing President Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ruling the outlets are likely to succeed on First Amendment and due process claims that the ban was retaliation for their coverage.
Why it matters: The ruling keeps the three outlets' reporters inside the White House while the case runs and sets up an administration appeal weeks before the midterms, in the sharpest court test yet of Trump's effort to strip access from news organizations he calls dishonest.
Data as of Wednesday, October 14, 2026, overnight. Reuters report opened and read in full via WIXX republication; CNN account read via KION Central Coast republication; The Hill and CNBC headlines corroborate the ruling. Kelly's reasoning is as reported by those outlets from his written decision.
A federal judge in Washington on Tuesday converted his emergency order restoring White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico into a preliminary injunction, so the ban President Trump announced on September 18 cannot be enforced while the outlets’ lawsuit proceeds, unless an appeals court intervenes. Judge Timothy Kelly, whom Trump appointed in 2017, wrote that the president’s own remarks showed the outlets were barred because he considered their reporting biased and inaccurate, which the judge called unlawful viewpoint discrimination, and he rejected the Justice Department’s argument that national security motivated the decision, finding no evidence it played a role from the start.
Trump announced the ban on social media in September, saying the three outlets reported fiction and lies, and their reporters’ hard passes were deactivated the next day. The outlets sued on First Amendment and due process grounds, and Kelly’s September 24 emergency order had already forced the White House to restore access for dozens of reporters and staff; that order was due to expire on Tuesday.
Sources
- Judge extends White House access for CNN, MS NOW, Politico amid legal fight · Reuters, via WIXX republication · 2026-10-13
- Judge extends order allowing CNN, Politico, MS NOW White House press access · The Hill · 2026-10-13
- Judge says Trump press ban likely violates First Amendment · CNN, via KION Central Coast · 2026-10-13