Federal judge orders Trump administration to restore White House access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico

President Donald Trump's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico suffered a setback Thursday after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore White House access to the outlets.

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order on Thursday blocking the ban on the outlets, ruling that their access to the White House must be reinstated while the outlets continue their legal battle, Reuters reported.

The order will be in effect for 14 days. 

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President Donald Trump during the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026. (Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Trump announced the ban last week, writing on social media that the three outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES."

Reporters from all three organizations were subsequently denied entry to the White House, with their press credentials deactivated or confiscated.

Lawyers for the Justice Department argued that White House press access is a privilege, not a right, and defended the president's authority to determine who receives access.

Following Trump's ban, White House television pool members FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News announced Monday that they had agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of the president.