Trump Press Ban: Judge Holds Off on Ruling, but Says Due Process ‘Wasn’t Played Out’

Judge Timothy Kelly heard arguments Wednesday from MS NOW, CNN and Politico September 23, 2026 @ 1:36 PM President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House on July 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Credit: Andrew Harnik/Getty Images) A federal judge on Wednesday questioned the Trump administration’s decision to revoke CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s White House access, saying the government appeared not to have followed the required process before barring the outlets. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly zeroed in on due process during a hearing on the outlets’ request to immediately restore their access, saying the process required under previous court decisions “wasn’t played out here.” Kelly did not rule from the bench Wednesday. “Before we get to any core First Amendment issues, there is a due process claim and a due process issue that seems to me the first stop in figuring out how to resolve the motion,” Kelly said. More to come…