Judge Blocks Trump's White House Ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico

WASHINGTON -- A federal judge on Tuesday extended an order blocking the Trump administration from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House complex, ruling that the three news organizations are likely to win their First Amendment lawsuit against the president.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued the preliminary injunction from the bench late Tuesday night, according to reporting by CNBC. The order supplants a temporary restraining order Kelly granted Sept. 24, keeping the outlets' press credentials intact while the underlying lawsuit plays out.

Kelly, whom Trump nominated to the U.S. District Court in Washington in 2017, found the media organizations likely to succeed on claims of First Amendment retaliation, viewpoint discrimination and a denial of due process, CNBC reported.

"It is likely that Plaintiffs were selected by President Trump for revocation of their access to the White House press area because he believes their coverage of him and his administration is generally inaccurate and biased," Kelly wrote in his opinion, as quoted by CNBC.

The judge added: "Simply put, that is unlawful viewpoint discrimination."

The ban dates to mid-September. Trump announced it in a Truth Social post, writing that media outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES" when covering his administration, according to Good Morning America. The Department of Justice defended the exclusion in court, citing specific stories it claimed violated professional standards and involved sensitive national security information.

Kelly was not persuaded by the national security argument. As reported by CNBC, the judge noted that Trump did not mention national security in his original Truth Social post announcing the ban, nor when asked about it later that same day.

The lawsuit names Trump, White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Secret Service Director Sean Curran and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung as defendants, according to CNBC.

Attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr., who represents all three news organizations, said in a statement obtained by ABC News that the president "repeatedly, candidly, and consistently admitted in public that he banned our clients from the White House to punish reporting he doesn't like."

The White House did not immediately acknowledge the ruling publicly. The Justice Department filed an appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit on Wednesday, according to reporting by Yahoo News, seeking to overturn Kelly's injunction while the district court case continues.

The preliminary injunction is not a final ruling. CNN, MS NOW and Politico will keep their hard passes while the case proceeds, Yahoo News reported.

The case adds to a string of court losses the administration has faced over press access. Kelly's written opinion cited two existing D.C. Circuit precedents establishing a due-process right for journalists whose White House credentials are targeted for revocation, CNBC reported.

Sources cited:
- CNBC (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/14/trump-white-house-msnow-cnn-politico-media-ban.html)
- CNBC (appeal) (https://www.cnbc.com/2026/10/14/trump-appeals-white-house-ban-judge.html)
- ABC News / Good Morning America (https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/amp/news/story/federal-judge-grants-preliminary-injunction-continuing-block-trumps-137247889)
- Yahoo News (https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/trump-appointed-judge-halts-white-040539373.html)
- The Washington Post (https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/10/13/judge-deals-another-blow-trumps-white-house-media-bans/)