White House turns away CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters after court order
On September 24, 2026, the White House continued to deny entry to reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, hours after Trump-appointed Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted a temporary restraining order mandating their access be restored for 14 days, ruling that the administration had likely violated the outlets' Fifth Amendment rights.
What happened
- U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House on September 24, 2026 to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days, ruling that the administration had likely violated the outlets' Fifth Amendment rights.
- CNN and MS NOW said that after their reporters returned to White House grounds, the White House barred their journalists from Chinese leader Xi Jinping's state dinner arrival, including MS NOW's Laura Barrón-López, whose credentials the order had restored.
What the White House says
- Micah Stopperich, the director of White House press operations, told the court the administration was notified of the order at 7:10 a.m. Eastern and began restoring credentials at 7:25 a.m.
- The White House told the court that access for all three outlets' reporters was restored as of 9:55 a.m., filing just before a 12:30 p.m. Eastern deadline the judge set.
Where it stands
- Reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were readmitted to the White House later that day, the first time they had been on the grounds since the previous Friday.
Why it matters
A judge's order is what stands between the White House and a press corps it gets to choose. Reporters from the three outlets stayed outside for hours after that order took effect, and MS NOW said one of its reporters, whose badge the judge had just restored, was still turned away from the arrival ceremony ahead of the state dinner.