A federal judge dealt another legal blow to the Trump administration by indefinitely extending the ban on blocking reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from accessing the White House, in a ruling that maintains the statu quo prior to the presidential veto, while the case progresses through the courts.
The district judge Timothy Kelly of the Federal District Court for the District of Columbia, issued a preliminary injunction that replaces the 14-day temporary restriction he himself had imposed on September 24.
The new order will remain in effect while the litigation is pending.
The ruling and its grounds
Kelly concluded that the three media outlets "will likely be successful" in their constitutional claims regarding freedom of speech and due process, and that without judicial protection, they "will likely suffer irreparable harm."
The judge noted that the White House did not warn the plaintiffs that they were at risk of losing their credentials before Trump made the announcement on Truth Social.
He also rejected the government's national security arguments, stating that they emerged "after the events" and were not backed up.
Kelly highlighted the real impact of the measure: "The ban threatens to cut off all access for the plaintiffs to the press area of the White House—an open space to many of their competitors—thus restricting their ability to witness firsthand what is happening there, report immediately on those activities, and attempt to engage with government officials."
The judge also rejected the government’s request to suspend its own decision while an appeal is filed.
The order protects a total of 78 reporters distributed among the three organizations.
However, Kelly included a clarification: "No one should interpret the court's decision as an implication that President Trump's concerns about the accuracy and fairness of media coverage are unfounded."
The order does not require the administration to allow these media outlets to participate in coverage of the Oval Office or to travel on Air Force One.
The media's reaction
Theodore Boutrous Jr., attorney for the three companies, celebrated the ruling.
"When the president issued his 'ban on a free press,' he flagrantly and explicitly violated due process and the First Amendment. The harm this ban caused to our clients, to the First Amendment, and to the public at large is profound," he asserted.
Neither the Department of Justice nor the White House immediately responded to requests for comments from Associated Press regarding the ruling.
The origin of the conflict
The confrontation erupted on September 18, when Trump announced the ban “effective immediately” via Truth Social, accusing the three outlets of spreading “fiction and lies.”
Days later, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed an emergency lawsuit in the federal court of the District of Columbia, claiming violations of the First and Fifth Amendments.
His lawyers described the measure as "unprecedented and brazenly unconstitutional."
On that same day, the major networks ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News suspended their participation in the White House's rotating coverage system in solidarity.
On its part, the administration launched Trump TV, its own channel continuously available 24 hours on YouTube.
Background and legal context
This case is not the first during Trump's second term. In February 2025, the White House banned the Associated Press in retaliation for refusing to adopt the term "Gulf of America." AP filed a lawsuit, and a judge ordered access to be restored months later.
Judge Kelly himself has a history in this type of disputes: in November 2018, he ordered the reinstatement of the credentials of then-CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after a confrontation with Trump, stating that due process had been violated. Kelly was nominated for the position by Trump himself in 2017.
More recently, the Department of Justice confirmed that it is investigating whether ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News violated antitrust laws by suspending joint coverage in September, although the investigation does not imply that any violation has been proven.
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