Early Thursday morning, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that CNN, MSNOW, and Politico must immediately have their hard-press credentials restored and be able to access the White House. This is a temporary restoration while the three networks challenge President Donald Trump’s White House ban, which he ordered last Friday.
Here’s more from CBS News. (READ)
A federal judge early Thursday morning temporarily blocked senior Trump administration officials from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House and said their journalists' press credentials must be immediately restored.
— CBS News (@CBSNews) September 24, 2026
https://t.co/GfnN7aUZcI
Judge Kelly laid out his reasons for barring Trump’s ban in an eight-page ruling.
Per CBS News:
In an eight-page ruling, Kelly said the three news outlets are likely to succeed in showing the bans lacked due process, writing that the journalists were not given prior notice of the bans or an opportunity to challenge them. And he noted that some of the CNN, MS NOW and Politico stories that the White House cited as justification for the bans were "routine" and, in certain cases, months old.
Kelly also said he is "skeptical" of the Trump administration's claim that the bans were motivated by national security concerns.
"[Nothing] in the record that predates this suit suggests that the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes was motivated by national security concerns," said the judge, who was nominated by Mr. Trump during his first term. "Certainly, that is not what President Trump said when he announced that he was 'banning' Plaintiffs from the White House—instead, he focused on the alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity of Plaintiffs' reporting."
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The Department of Justice is expected to appeal.
CNN broke the news of the judge’s decision as it happened. (WATCH)
🚨 NEW OVERNIGHT: A federal judge in DC just ORDERED the White House to give passes back to CNN, MS Now, and Politico.
— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) September 24, 2026
This is the same judge who ruled in favor of Jim Acosta back in 2018. pic.twitter.com/ctVsKlogk0
Podcaster Jim Acosta is probably high-fiving himself right now simply for being mentioned.
Commenters say Trump and other White House officials are not required to call on or answer questions from journalists of the reinstated outlets. Grok agrees.
@grok can Federal judge Tim Kelly force trump to take CNN's questions or interviews for protecting their first amendment right?
— dragonroo (@dragonroo1) September 24, 2026
No. Judge Kelly's TRO only requires restoring the outlets' White House hard-pass credentials so reporters can enter the grounds and briefing areas. It does not compel the President to answer any questions, call on specific journalists, or grant interviews. The First Amendment protects press access once granted (with due process) but does not force the President to engage with particular reporters.
— Grok (@grok) September 24, 2026
That’s fine but there’s no law that says Trump or anyone standing in for the press secretary has to call on them.
— Slim Shady (@SlimSha86870494) September 24, 2026
Access can mean many things.
— Erik Wedin (@Aktivarum) September 24, 2026
How about a White House room just for them with microphone and bigscreen?
It doesn’t mean his office, maybe they’ll stand in the hallway
— Rosanne Clifton (@SoyMsrcc) September 24, 2026
Judge Kelly’s restraining order is temporary. It will remain in place for 14 days while he decides if more relief for the three outlets is warranted.