Judge extends order blocking Trump from banning reporters at White House

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly extended an order blocking President Donald Trump's administration from banning reporters for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. The order was issued Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2026, and the judge ruled that the outlets are likely to succeed in their constitutional free speech and due process claims. Kelly wrote that without a preliminary injunction the outlets “are likely to suffer irreparable harm.” The judge also noted that the White House had not given notice before announcing the bans. The decision preserves the status quo indefinitely while the case is pending.

The judge said the bans threatened to cut off all plaintiffs’ access to the White House press area—a space open to many of their competitors—thereby restricting their ability to observe happenings there firsthand, immediately report on those activities, and try to engage with government officials. He also wrote that the bans impacted a total of 78 reporters at the three news organizations. The judge had previously ordered the White House to restore the reporters’ hard pass credentials. The judge’s order also included a preliminary injunction that preserves the status quo indefinitely while the case is pending.

Attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. hailed the judge’s ruling as a victory for media organizations. He said the court was right to enjoin the White House from enforcing the “unconstitutional ban on the free press” for the foreseeable future. The decision is a pivotal operational development for the organizations as the extraordinary case makes its way through the legal system. The decision also addresses the government’s claim that access to the White House is a privilege, not a right.

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