Another Blow to Trump as Court Orders Media Ban Lifted
Mian Nadeem | Published September 24, 2026 | 03:39 PM
The Trump administration argued that White House access is its prerogative and that the president may restrict media access on national security grounds.
WASHINGTON, ( UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 24th Sep, 2026 ) A Federal judge in the United States has ordered the administration to immediately restore White House access for three major media organizations after issuing a ruling against President Donald Trump’s ban on them.
According to Reuters, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly said barring journalists from CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House could prima facie be unconstitutional. The judge also barred the administration from enforcing the restrictions for 14 days.
President Trump imposed the ban on the three media organizations on September 18, prompting them to approach the court.
The organizations argued that canceling the journalists’ press passes violated the First Amendment protections for freedom of expression and freedom of the press, as well as due process requirements.
The Trump administration argued in court that granting access to the White House was its prerogative and that the president had the authority to restrict media organizations’ access on national security grounds.
Judge Kelly, however, questioned the argument. According to the judge, the record presented in court did not contain sufficient evidence to establish that canceling the press passes would protect national security or that restoring the journalists’ access would pose a national security risk.
During the hearing, Judge Kelly also noted that the journalists had not been given adequate notice or an opportunity to present their position before their press passes were canceled.