# Judge may restore White House press access after Trump ban

> A federal judge appeared ready to order the White House to restore press passes for CNN, Politico and MS NOW after the outlets sued over their sudden removal.
- Title: Judge may restore White House press access after Trump ban
- Summary: A federal judge appeared ready to order the White House to restore press passes for CNN, Politico and MS NOW after the outlets sued over their sudden…
- Keywords: trump administration, white house, press freedom, cnn, politico, ms now, first amendment, federal judge timothy j. kelly, media ban, due process, news, Judge
- Source: NPR — https://npr.org/2026/09/23/nx-s1-5979101/federal-judge-hearing-trump-ban-cnn-ms-now-politico
- Published: 2026-09-23T00:00:00+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: trump administration, white house, press freedom, cnn, politico, ms now, first amendment, federal judge timothy j. kelly, media ban, due process, news
## Three outlets banned from White House
The White House abruptly revoked press credentials for journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW, blocking their access to the building where they held permanent credentials.
## Judge signals constitutional concerns
U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, nominated by Trump in two thousand seventeen, held an emergency hearing on Wednesday after the outlets sued. He said the White House appeared to have violated their constitutional right of due process.
## Outlets claim retaliation for coverage
Lawyer Theodore J. Boutrous argued the ban violated the outlets' First Amendment rights and was retaliation for their coverage. Trump had told reporters the outlets write negative news to diminish Republicans.

> They purposely write negative news, and they do that because they want to try and diminish the Republicans and a Republican administration.
## Government claims privilege and security
Justice Department lawyer Michael Velchik argued that White House access is a privilege, not a right, and cited national security concerns. The department cited stories on a top secret bunker, Iran talks and Republican convention vibes.
## Outlets dispute security justification
Boutrous argued that national security concerns only emerged days after the ban, suggesting they were an afterthought. He said the outlets faced irreparable harm being locked out during wartime and before Trump's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

> I guess the light bulb went off and they all decided 'Start talking about national security.'
## Judge to rule soon on restoration
Judge Kelly did not rule from the bench but said he will consider both sides and make a decision as soon as possible on whether to restore the journalists' White House access.
## Key takeaway

A federal judge signalled he may order the White House to restore press credentials for three news outlets banned by Trump, citing potential constitutional violations.