White House Defies Judge’s Order Restoring CNN, Politico, MS NOW Access, Outlets Seek Emergency Hearing
WASHINGTON — CNN, MS NOW and Politico asked a federal judge Thursday for an emergency hearing after their journalists were turned away from the White House and, in some cases, had credentials confiscated, despite an overnight court order requiring the administration to immediately restore their access.
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order in the early hours of September 24 directing the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the hard-pass credentials of employees from the three outlets. Kelly found the organizations were likely to succeed on their claim that the revocations violated due-process rights because they received no prior notice or opportunity to be heard. He also expressed skepticism of the administration’s later national-security justification, noting President Donald Trump had publicly cited “fake news” and negative coverage when announcing the ban on September 18. The order is set to last 14 days while the lawsuit proceeds.
Hours later, reporters attempting to enter the complex were blocked. Politico said one of its correspondents had a credential seized by the Secret Service. MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López and a producer were denied entry; CNN’s Betsy Klein reported from outside the gates after being turned away. The outlets’ attorneys told the court that “Defendants have already repeatedly violated the Court’s Order” and that time was of the essence because CNN was scheduled to serve as the television pool for Chinese President Xi Jinping’s White House visit Thursday evening.
Kelly directed the Trump administration to respond to the non-compliance notice by 12:30 p.m. ET. The episode marks the latest escalation in a week-long confrontation that began when Trump announced on Truth Social that the outlets “shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES.” The organizations sued Monday, arguing viewpoint discrimination and First Amendment violations. Several major networks had already paused pooled television coverage in solidarity with CNN.
The White House has maintained that access is a privilege, not a right, and that the outlets violated professional standards by publishing what it described as falsehoods and sensitive information. Kelly’s ruling rejected that rationale at the temporary-restraining-order stage. The administration has indicated it will appeal.The standoff comes as Trump hosts Xi for high-stakes talks on trade, artificial intelligence and other issues, underscoring the practical impact of the access fight on coverage of a major diplomatic event.
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White House Defies Judge’s Order Restoring CNN, Politico, MS NOW Access; Outlets Seek Emergency Hearing
News outlets request emergency hearing after reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico were blocked from the White House despite a federal judge’s order to immediately lift Trump’s ban. Latest on the press-access standoff.
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