# Trump Bans Press Organizations After Critical Coverage

> Trump revokes press passes for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW over critical reporting, sparking legal battle.
- Title: Trump Bans Press Organizations After Critical Coverage
- Summary: Trump revokes press passes for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW over critical reporting, sparking legal battle. Trump ordered White House press passes revoked for…
- Keywords: donald trump, white house, press passes, cnn, politico, ms now, first amendment, federal judge, truth social, d.c. circuit, knight first amendment institute, reporters committee
- Source: Slate Magazine — https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2026/09/donald-trump-white-house-press-ban-fail.html?via=rss
- Author: Dahlia Lithwick
- Published: 2026-09-30T18:52:50+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: donald trump, white house, press passes, cnn, politico, ms now, first amendment, federal judge, truth social, d.c. circuit, knight first amendment institute, reporters committee
## Press Ban Announcement
Donald Trump ordered White House press passes revoked from CNN, Politico, and MS NOW after criticizing their reporting on Truth Social.

> They would lose their ability to enter the building because of his feelings about their biased coverage
## Legal Challenge
CNN, Politico, and MS NOW sued after Trump revoked press passes, seeking a federal judge to reinstate them temporarily.

> Judge Timothy Kelly of the D.C. Circuit held an emergency hearing in a lawsuit filed by the news outlets
## Temporary Reinstatement
A federal judge reinstated press passes for 14 days after issuing a temporary restraining order.

> Judge Kelly issued a temporary restraining order to stop the White House ban for 14 days
## First Amendment Argument
The Knight First Amendment Institute argued the White House press corps is a public forum protected by the First Amendment.

> The White House press credential is basically giving you access to a kind of public forum in a metaphysical space
## Public Forum Principle
The court has previously ruled that the White House press corps is a public forum where viewpoint discrimination is unconstitutional.

> The president can’t kick a journalist out of the White House press corps on the basis of viewpoint without violating the First Amendment
## Hard Pass System
1,400 reporters hold hard passes granting access to White House grounds, with no ideological selection required.

> There’s no argument that those people were selected on the basis of their ideology
## Press Pool Restrictions
CNN and other media are part of the White House press pool that accompanies the president on Air Force One and in the Oval Office.

> CNN is a broadcast member of the press pool and provides TV footage to the other members of the press corps
## Legal Precedent
The Knight Institute previously sued Trump in 2017 over blocking critics from his Twitter account, winning a court order to unblock them.

> We alleged that his social media accounts were public forums within the meaning of the First Amendment
## Current Ban Consequences
CNN, Politico, and MS NOW were banned from a state dinner Thursday night and kept off Air Force One on the weekend.

> They were banned from a state dinner Thursday night and CNN was kept off Air Force One on the weekend
## Legal Strategy
The Knight Center and Reporters Committee filed a brief arguing the president lacks authority to expel news organizations based on viewpoint.

> The president has acted on the basis of viewpoint
## Viewpoint Discrimination
The case centers on whether the president can retaliate against news organizations for past reporting without violating the First Amendment.

> The president has taken this action in retaliation for the reporting these news organizations have done in the past
## Public Forum Defense
The White House press corps is a public forum where the government cannot expel journalists based on viewpoint.

> The president can’t kick a journalist out of the White House press corps on the basis of viewpoint without violating the First Amendment
## Legal Outcome
The federal judge reinstated press passes for 14 days, but the ban on state dinners and Air Force One access remains.

> They were reinstated, but those press organizations were banned from a state dinner Thursday night and CNN was kept off Air Force One on the weekend
## Key takeaway

Trump ordered White House press passes revoked for CNN, Politico, and MS NOW due to critical coverage, but a federal judge reinstated them temporarily.