# Federal Judge Reinstates White House Access for CNN, MS Now, and Politico Trump's media ban deemed likely unconstitutional in temporary restraining order. - **Source:** [US Top News and Analysis](https://brifing.si/source/635540e9-943e-450d-ae52-ae0bfe3b67eb) - **Published:** 2026-09-24 - **Topic:** [Business](https://brifing.si/c/business) - **Original article:** - **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/748a209e-3dc5-48cf-87fb-4e5342f97c04 ## Judge overturns Trump's media ban Federal Judge Tim Kelly ordered the immediate restoration of White House press credentials for CNN, MS Now, and Politico journalists. The ruling came as a response to President Trump's September 18th ban, which revoked the outlets' hard passes. Kelly found the administration's national security justification unsupported by evidence. The temporary restraining order will remain in effect for 14 days while litigation proceeds. ## First Amendment concerns prevail The judge determined Trump's media ban likely violated constitutional press freedoms. The three outlets had argued the revocation of their White House access infringed on their First Amendment rights. Kelly noted such temporary restraining orders are typically unappealable, giving the media organizations immediate relief. The ruling represents a significant check on executive power regarding press access. ## Timing during high-stakes diplomacy The court decision came as President Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping for critical talks. The restored media access allows journalists from the banned outlets to cover this important diplomatic event. Judge Kelly rejected the Justice Department's request to delay implementation for two days, insisting on immediate restoration of press credentials. ## Judge's background and administration response District Judge Tim Kelly, who issued the ruling, was nominated to the federal bench by Trump in 2017. The administration must now return all hard passes to affected journalists. Trump had originally banned the outlets citing 'cumulative stories' he disagreed with, warning other 'Fake News Media' could face similar treatment in a Truth Social post announcing the ban. ## Legal reasoning behind the decision Judge Kelly found no evidence that revoking press passes protected national security, nor that reinstating them would endanger it. He emphasized the temporary order's purpose to preserve the status quo during litigation. The judge declined to stay the order's implementation, noting such action would defeat its temporary nature. This creates precedent for press access disputes. ## Media landscape implications The ruling reinforces protections for journalists covering the White House, particularly during contentious administrations. It establishes that presidents cannot arbitrarily revoke press credentials without constitutional scrutiny. The case highlights ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and mainstream media outlets it frequently criticizes as 'fake news.' ## Temporary nature of the order The 14-day restraining order provides interim relief while the court considers the case's merits. During this period, the banned outlets regain full White House access privileges. The administration may pursue further legal challenges after this window expires. The order sets a high bar for justifying future press access restrictions. ## Broader press freedom significance This ruling marks an important defense of press access to government proceedings. It affirms that media organizations can challenge credential revocations in court successfully. The decision comes amid global concerns about declining press freedoms and represents a rare judicial rebuke of Trump's adversarial relationship with the media. ## Sources covering this story - https://www.cnbc.com/2026/09/24/judge-lifts-trumps-white-house-ban-on-cnn-ms-now-and-politico.html — --- _Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._