Judge Tells White House to Let Three News Teams Back In for Two Weeks

A federal judge ordered the White House to give press passes back to CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days. NPR

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly in Washington, D.C., issued the order shortly after midnight Thursday, Sept. 24, 2026. It tells White House staff to "immediately return, reinstate, and restore" the reporters' credentials.

The credentials are hard passes. Think of them as long-term badges for covering the White House each day.

The three outlets said their passes were revoked Saturday. That came after they were barred from White House events last week. They filed a joint lawsuit against President Donald Trump on Monday over the ban. CNN

Kelly held an emergency hearing Wednesday afternoon. He wrote the outlets will likely show they lost their passes without fair process. That means notice and a chance to respond before the government takes a pass away.

Kelly was nominated to the court by Trump in 2017. He is now hearing a challenge to decisions made by the same administration.

For press access, the narrow point matters. The order is about process for taking away existing passes. It does not give a final answer on the bigger First Amendment fight over access to events.

The broader context here is that this order is temporary. It keeps the old setup for 14 days while both sides give the court more facts. It does not decide who wins for good or set lasting rules.

Looking at daily work, the effect is simple for now. Hard passes control where reporters can go, small-group coverage, filing and staffing. Without them, outlets need workarounds. With them back, editors can staff White House coverage as usual.

The sequence here may shape what comes next. Last week's ban led to Saturday's revocations, then Monday's lawsuit and Wednesday's hearing. Courts often act fast in access cases tied to the news. The record on notice, rules and chance to respond will likely stay central.