DOMINANT ANGLE
Lima first notes the gap between the decision of a federal judge and its concrete application: a White House that continues to block CNN, MS NOW and Politico on the very same day the order requires it to let them in.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Federal Judge Tim Kelly ruled on Thursday that the ban imposed on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico was likely unconstitutional and ordered their access to the White House restored (RPP Noticias)
- 02
Despite this order, reporters from the three media outlets were denied entry to the presidential site on Thursday (El Comercio Perú)
- 03
On Monday, the five major American television networks suspended their shared coverage system of the White House in solidarity with CNN (RPP Noticias)
ANALYSIS
Lima, September 24, 2026. Federal Judge Tim Kelly ordered President Donald Trump on Thursday to restore access to the White House for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, ruling that the ban imposed on them is likely unconstitutional, reports RPP Noticias. The decision responds to a complaint filed by the three media outlets against a measure announced by the Republican president, who had stated on social media that these newsrooms "should not be able to constantly publish or broadcast fiction and lies".
The lawyers from the Department of Justice had attempted to justify the exclusion on grounds of national security, an argument dismissed by the judge. RPP recalls that Kelly, appointed by Trump himself, had already ordered the restoration of a CNN journalist's accreditation during the president's first term, which had been revoked: a precedent that weighs on the Peruvian reading of the case.
The judicial setback was not enough to reopen the doors of the White House. El Comercio Perú reports that on Thursday, despite the order, reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were denied entry to the presidential site, even though the decision guaranteed them access.
RPP situates the episode in a broader confrontation: on Saturday, the three media outlets' accreditations had already been withdrawn at the building's entrance, and on Monday, the five major American television networks suspended their shared coverage system of the White House in solidarity with CNN, a system that allows one network to film for all televisions during the day. A statement cited by RPP summarizes the stake claimed by the media concerned: the public "has a vital interest in receiving accurate and independent information about its government", and "no administration should restrict a media outlet's access because it disputes its coverage".
For the Peruvian press, the case illustrates less a punctual dispute than a prolonged confrontation between the 80-year-old president and the major American media outlets. Thursday's order tests the ability of the federal justice system to enforce the regular procedure in the face of an executive that, for now, continues to act as if the decision did not exist.
