• The White House was ordered to restore access to CNN, Politico, and MS NOW following a court ruling.
• The order came after President Trump banned the outlets, citing negative coverage as his reason.
• US District Judge Timothy Kelly emphasized the importance of due process in revoking press credentials.
• The legal battle continues as the outlets plan further action regarding First Amendment rights.
• Major media organizations have suspended coverage in solidarity with the barred outlets.

On September 24, 2026, a federal judge ordered the White House to restore access to reporters from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW, following their ban initiated by President Donald Trump. Judge Timothy Kelly stated that the ban likely violated the reporters' constitutional rights by revoking their press credentials without due process. The judge ruled that the outlets must reclaim their access for 14 days while litigation proceeds, highlighting, "this is a high bar, but Plaintiffs have met it," according to Le Monde and BBC.

Despite the court's ruling, the White House initially denied entry to reporters from the specified outlets, leading to further legal requests for clarity and compliance. The situation unfolded against the backdrop of a significant diplomatic visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping, creating urgency around the press access issue. Following a tense morning, reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were later permitted entry after an internal dispute over their credentials was resolved, according to reports from India Times.

President Trump had previously described the media outlets as distributing "fake news," leading to widespread criticism from various press freedom advocates. In a remarkable show of unity, major US broadcasters, including ABC and CBS, collectively decided to suspend coverage of Trump events in solidarity with the excluded outlets, as highlighted by Al Jazeera and India Times.

As the legal battle continues, attorneys for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW are preparing for follow-up challenges related to First Amendment violations. The ruling has temporarily alleviated immediate access issues but does not resolve ongoing concerns about government control over press access, which is crucial for democratic accountability. Boutrous, counsel for the news organizations, noted that their First Amendment arguments "will come front and center" in future proceedings, emphasizing the need for comprehensive legal protections for press freedoms, according to Reuters.