CNN, MS NOW and Politico have asked a federal court to prevent the Trump administration from enforcing its ban on their access to the White House while their legal challenge moves forward.
The three news organizations filed a request for a preliminary injunction after arguing that the administration has continued to apply the restrictions inconsistently despite a temporary court order restoring their access. They said the ban could be reinstated once the temporary order expires.
The dispute began after President Donald Trump announced the restrictions against the three outlets in September. The organizations subsequently sued, arguing that the action violated First Amendment protections and due process. The administration has maintained that access to the White House is a privilege rather than a right and has cited concerns about inaccurate reporting and national security.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order that restored the outlets’ access. That order is scheduled to expire on Oct. 8, prompting the news organizations to seek a longer-term injunction while the case is litigated.
The latest filing also focuses on the White House television pool, which normally rotates coverage among CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News. The outlets said CNN was prevented from carrying out its assigned pool duties on Sept. 26 and was later excluded from Air Force One during Trump’s trip to Tennessee.
The administration has defended the Air Force One decision, while the news organizations argue that selective restrictions interfere with established press access. The judge’s earlier ruling questioned whether national security was the actual motivation for removing the outlets’ access, although the temporary order did not directly resolve the television pool dispute.
The case now moves toward a decision on whether the temporary protection should be extended while the broader constitutional challenge proceeds. The outcome could determine how White House media access is handled during the litigation.
