Breaking: Judge orders reversal of Trump's White House media ban

Judge orders Donald Trump to restore White House access to banned media organisations Posted Thu 24 Sep 2026 at 3:35pmThu 24 Sep 2026 at 3:35pm, updated Thu 24 Sep 2026 at 3:49pmThu 24 Sep 2026 at 3:49pmThe judge said Donald Trump's ban on the media outlets was likely unconstitutional. (Reuters: Mike Segar)A federal judge has ordered US President Donald Trump to restore White House access for journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, saying his ban on the three media outlets was likely unconstitutional.US District Judge Tim Kelly issued his order in a lawsuit that the news organisations filed contesting the ban, which the Republican president announced on September 18.Mr Trump had said on social media that the three outlets "shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES", and Justice Department lawyers had sought to justify the ban on national security grounds.All three news outlets said their teams' press passes were confiscated on Saturday morning, local time, when their reporters went to the White House.The US president has developed a hostile relationship with journalists and media outlets who report critically on his administration, during his two terms in office.In response to the ban, the remainder of the White House television pool announced it would suspend coverage of Mr Trump.Justice Kelly ordered the Trump administration to immediately return the outlets' press passes and blocked officials from enforcing the ban for 14 days. The judge rejected the government's assertion that the ban was motivated by national security concerns."The record lacks factual support for defendants' contention that the revocation of plaintiffs' hard passes will in fact protect national security or that national security will be endangered if the court orders their passes reinstated while this litigation proceeds," Justice Kelly said.He added that Mr Trump himself had stated the ban was due to "alleged lack of truthfulness and negativity" of the outlets' reporting.The White House and representatives for the outlets did not immediately respond to requests for comment.Reuters/ABC