White House ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico: preliminary injunction (Oct. 13, 2026)

Case

U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly granted a preliminary injunction on Oct. 13, 2026 keeping CNN, MS NOW and Politico credentialed at the White House while their lawsuit proceeds. The outlets say the ban violated due process and the First Amendment; DOJ argues White House access is a privilege and the president has broad authority.

What happened (Sept.-Oct. 2026)
The administration barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House; the outlets sued and sought a temporary restraining order, calling the decision a "direct assault on the First Amendment."
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to restore the outlets' press passes, then late on Oct. 13, 2026 granted a preliminary injunction keeping the three outlets in the White House while the case proceeds.
Politico reported, per a Just Security summary, that the judge said the credential cancellations likely violated due process and the First Amendment.
In September, Trump posted that media outlets shouldn't be able to constantly report "FICTION and LIES" about his administration.
Politico is a party to the case, so its coverage of the ruling is an interested source; ABC News carries the same outcome.

Perspectives

Official position — Justice Department (lawyer Michael Velchik)
DOJ defended the ban by citing specific stories from each outlet that it said violated \"standards of professionalism and decorum.\" Velchik argued the president has broad authority to remove outlets based on national security determinations, that the letters sent to the outlets gave sufficient due process, and that \"access to the White House is a privilege, not a right.\"

Critic — Outlets' attorney Theodore J. Boutrous Jr.
Boutrous argued the ban violated the outlets' due process rights and the First Amendment. The outlets called the decision a \"direct assault on the First Amendment.\" Judge Kelly's injunction preserves the status quo while the case proceeds; it is not a final ruling on the merits.

Note
DOJ says the outlets violated standards of professionalism and decorum and that access is a privilege; the ruling is preliminary and the case continues.

Sources
[1] ABC News: Federal judge grants preliminary injunction continuing to block Trump's White House media ban (https://abcnews.com/Politics/federal-judge-grants-preliminary-injunction-continuing-block-trumps/story?id=137247889) · 2026-10-14
[2] Politico: White House media ban ruling (as listed in Just Security Early Edition, Oct. 14) (https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/14/white-house-media-ban-ruling) · 2026-10-14
[3] TheWrap: Trump's media ban block extended as judge weighs ruling (https://www.thewrap.com/industry-news/public-policy-legal/trump-media-ban-block-extended-cnn-msnow-politico/)

Connections
Not linked to anything yet.