FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
New York, Oct. 14, 2026 — Judge Timothy Kelly of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., delivered a decisive loss to President Trump for a second time yesterday evening, extending his previous order restraining the administration from barring CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.
In an opinion that completely dismantled the administration’s justification for the ban, the court held that it violates not only the Fifth Amendment’s guarantee of due process, but also the First Amendment’s protections for freedom of speech and of the press. Kelly’s new preliminary injunction restrains administration officials from enforcing Trump’s decision to revoke the White House “hard pass” press credentials held by employees of the three news outlets.
The following can be attributed to Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Senior Adviser for Advocacy Caitlin Vogus:
“This decision is a stinging defeat for Trump’s assault on the free press and a powerful vindication of the First Amendment. As Kelly rightly recognized, presidents don’t get to use their power to purge journalists because they don’t like what they report.
“Kelly saw right through the administration’s flimsy ‘national security’ excuse, in no small part because Trump himself has shown it’s a sham. The court’s opinion is littered with Trump’s own Truth Social posts ranting about using the ban to punish news outlets for coverage he doesn’t like.
“But this fight is far from over. We have every reason to expect the administration will appeal Kelly’s latest order and also continue to prevent CNN and Politico from participating in pool coverage of the president. Higher courts should reject this ban quickly and decisively. Trump must not be allowed to trample on fundamental First Amendment protections by handpicking his press corps or turning pool duties into a reward for favorable coverage.”
Read Judge Kelly’s full opinion here.
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