🔴 US judge lifts Trump's White House ban on CNN, MS NOW, Politico

A U.S. federal judge has ordered the White House to restore press credentials for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico after President Donald Trump barred them from the West Wing on September 18, accusing the outlets of “fiction and lies.” The ruling, issued by District Judge Tim Kelly, came in response to a lawsuit filed by the three news organizations challenging the ban, which had seen their passes confiscated and their reporters denied entry to the White House grounds. Kelly, a Trump appointee who previously ordered a temporary reinstatement of a CNN reporter’s access during the former president’s first term, found the administration’s justification—citing national‑security concerns—insufficient, thereby delivering a significant legal defeat for Trump in one of his most high‑profile confrontations with the press.

The decision arrived amid a broader backlash from the media industry, with the five major U.S. broadcast networks—ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC—collectively suspending their pool coverage of the White House in solidarity with CNN. The White House Correspondents’ Association and nearly fifty other news outlets also submitted an amicus brief urging the court to reverse the bans, arguing that the public’s right to accurate, independent information outweighs any administrative displeasure with reporting. Trump’s earlier social‑media statements had framed the ban as a response to what he characterized as false reporting, while Justice Department lawyers had attempted to defend the move on national‑security grounds, a claim the court rejected.

The ruling underscores the ongoing tension between the Trump administration and mainstream media, a dynamic that has intensified since the president launched “Trump TV,” a 24/7 streaming channel showcasing his remarks and highlights. Even as Trump dismissed CNN’s presence at the United Nations, the court’s order reaffirms legal protections for press access and signals that attempts to curb coverage based on editorial disagreement will face judicial scrutiny. The reinstated credentials allow the three outlets to resume reporting from the White House, preserving a channel for independent coverage of the administration’s actions.

⚡ Effects Interpreter