Politico, MS NOW, CNN Denied White House Access Despite Judge’s Order

Reporters from Politico, MS NOW and CNN were denied access to the White House on Thursday, hours after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restore their press access.

The latest development has intensified a legal dispute between the White House and the three news organisations, which sued after President Donald Trump announced last week that their journalists would be barred from the White House.

US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order early Thursday directing the administration to immediately return, reinstate and restore the outlets’ access for 14 days while the court considers the case. Kelly said the journalists were likely to succeed in their argument that their press credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process.

But reporters attempting to return to the White House later Thursday said they were still turned away.

Reuters reported that a Politico reporter was denied entry and had the reporter’s credentials confiscated. An MS NOW reporter also said she was blocked from entering the complex. CNN said some of its staff members were denied entry, although it was not immediately clear whether all CNN personnel attempting to enter were affected.

The Guardian likewise reported that reporters from all three organisations said they were barred from entering the White House despite the judge’s ruling. The White House was contacted for comment but had not immediately responded.

The dispute began on September 18, when Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be banned from the White House. He accused the outlets of producing what he described as false or negative coverage.

The three organisations subsequently filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictions, arguing that the administration had violated constitutional protections for the press and had deprived their journalists of access without proper process.

The Trump administration has defended its position in court, arguing that access to restricted areas of the White House is a privilege rather than an absolute right. Justice Department lawyers also cited national security concerns and alleged that the outlets had published sensitive information.

Judge Kelly questioned that justification in his ruling. According to AFP, he said the court was not persuaded, on the existing record, that national security was the actual motivation for revoking the journalists’ credentials. He also pointed to Trump’s own explanation for the ban, which focused on what the president considered false or negative reporting.

The case has drawn support from other news organisations and press-freedom groups. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said it had joined an amicus brief with about 50 media organisations and industry groups urging the court to restore access. The committee said journalists from the three outlets were nevertheless denied entry again after the ruling.

The dispute has also affected the White House television press pool. Major television networks have suspended participation in the rotating pool that provides shared coverage of presidential events, following the removal of CNN from the arrangement. The AP reported that the pool continued to withhold coverage during Trump’s meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping at Joint Base Andrews.

The latest confrontation leaves the administration and the media organisations facing a further legal test over the scope of presidential control over White House press access. For now, Judge Kelly’s temporary order is in effect for 14 days unless modified or extended by the court, while the underlying lawsuit proceeds.