Who: CNNPolitico and MS NOW had their White House hard-pass credentials restored by a federal judge on Thursday, September 242026 at the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C.
What and when: The court issued a 14-day temporary restraining order on Thursday that required the White House to “immediately return, reinstate, and restore” the permanent press badges that had been revoked earlier in the week, and the administration began restoring badges at 7:10 a.m. Eastern Time and completed key steps before a 12:30 p.m. deadline.
Why the order mattered and the immediate stakes
The restoration addressed claims that the revocation infringed on the First Amendment and denied procedural protections established in prior case law, raising questions about the balance between executive discretion and press rights. The plaintiffs argued that the removal of credentials disrupted routine White House coverage and the traditional pool system that supplies video and audio to other outlets, and they described the ban as retaliatory after critical reporting prior to a high-profile diplomatic meeting.
Emergency hearing, legal arguments and key statements
The emergency hearing took place on Wednesday before U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly a Trump nominee from 2017, after the three organizations filed a joint lawsuit, Cable News Networks, Inc. v. Trump represented by attorney Theodore J. Boutrous. Boutrous told the court the action occurred “without a semblance of due process,” and he labeled it the “clearest case in history” of viewpoint discrimination. The Justice Department argued that White House access is a privilege and cited security concerns tied to disputed reporting; a Justice Department lawyer listed several contested stories as the basis for the ban. Judge Kelly focused on procedural defects and observed that the government only raised national-security justifications days after the passes were revoked, prompting his written opinion to question whether security was the genuine motive. The judge also noted, “The government says those cases were wrongly decided,” and he stressed his duty to apply precedent requiring notice and an opportunity to be heard.
Operational timeline and on-the-ground outcomes
The ban was first announced on September 18 when President Donald Trump posted that the outlets “purposely write negative news” and would no longer be allowed inside the White House. Following court orders, the White House press-operations director Micah Stopperich submitted a declaration stating that badge restoration began at 7:10 a.m. Eastern Time and that the administration completed significant restoration steps by 9:55 a.m., ahead of a 12:30 p.m. compliance deadline set by Judge Kelly. By noon, reporters including Betsy Klein of CNN and Laura Barrón-López of MS NOW were seen entering the White House with reinstated passes, and Politico confirmed one of its journalists had regained access.
The judge characterized several cited news items — from coverage of a purported “top-secret bunker” to reporting on international talks and convention coverage — as routine reporting not amounting to an imminent threat to national security, and he enjoined the administration from further denying the badges without following established procedures. The order lasts 14 days and preserves the outlets’ ability to seek further relief as the litigation proceeds.
The case has broader implications for how future administrations may treat credential revocations and the procedural safeguards required before the government can strip journalists of a constitutionally significant interest; the litigation continues in federal court and the temporary restraining order remains in effect. Ultimo aggiornamento: 24 settembre 2026.
