DOMINANT ANGLE
The United States capital is witnessing an unprecedented showdown between the executive branch and the federal judiciary: a court order mandates the restoration of access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, but the White House fails to comply on the very morning of Xi Jinping's visit.
Dominant angle identified — does not reflect unanimity of this country’s media
KEY POINTS
- 01
Federal Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by Trump in 2017, issued a 14-day temporary restraining order, finding that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are likely to demonstrate a violation of their Fifth Amendment right to due process.
- 02
The judge rejected the national security argument put forth by the Trump administration, noting that it was not the justification given by the president when announcing the exclusion.
- 03
Despite the order, CNN and Politico journalists were denied entry to the White House Thursday morning, the day Donald Trump was hosting Xi Jinping; Politico claims the Secret Service seized one of its reporter's badge.
ANALYSIS
Washington, September 24, 2026. Federal Judge Timothy Kelly, appointed by Donald Trump in 2017, ordered late Wednesday to "immediately restore, reinstate, and restore" access to the White House for journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, who were banned a week earlier. His decision, a temporary restraining order valid for 14 days, estimates that the three newsrooms have a good chance of demonstrating that their press passes were revoked without the regular procedure guaranteed by the Fifth Amendment.
The judge also rejects the national security argument put forward after the fact by the administration: nothing in the file supports it, and it was not the justification given by the president when he initially announced the exclusion, denouncing "fake news" at the time.
The lawyer for the three media outlets, Ted Boutrous, welcomed "a decision that vigorously defends press freedom, due process, and the rule of law," adding that he appreciates "the speed of the court's action."
But the order was not enough. Thursday morning, just hours after the decision, reporters from CNN and Politico were denied entry to the White House. A journalist and a photojournalist from CNN were barred from entering, while a producer from the network was allowed in. Politico claims that the Secret Service seized the press badge of one of its reporters, who was also turned away. The scene unfolded on the same day that Donald Trump received Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House, an event that the public will therefore follow without coverage from the three affected newsrooms.
The standoff goes beyond these three titles: several media outlets not targeted by the ban had promised, in solidarity, to suspend the broadcast of their images and photos until the banned newsrooms' access was restored. The American press also notes that Judge Timothy Kelly's decision comes in an already tense climate, between Donald Trump's public attack on CNN's chief correspondent at the UN podium and criticism from the media world itself, such as that of former presenter Don Lemon, who judged that CNN bore its share of responsibility in this conflict.
