By Michele Evans
September 23, 2026
WASHINGTON — A federal judge left President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds in place Wednesday, at least temporarily, after concluding an emergency hearing without immediately ruling on the news organizations’ request to restore their access.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly heard arguments Wednesday afternoon in the First Amendment dispute but did not issue a ruling from the bench.
“I’ll consider what you’ve told me today and try to get you an answer as soon as I can,” Kelly told attorneys at the conclusion of the hearing, according to ABC News.
The practical result is that the three news organizations remain barred from White House grounds while Kelly considers their request for emergency relief.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the Trump administration Monday after their journalists were denied access to White House grounds and their hard passes were deactivated. The outlets argue that they were targeted because of the content of their reporting, amounting to unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination in violation of the First Amendment.
The Trump administration has defended the restrictions, arguing that White House access is a privilege rather than a constitutional right and raising national-security concerns about reporting by the three organizations. Administration filings cited stories involving White House construction and security, U.S. military munitions and the Iran war.
During Wednesday’s hearing, however, Kelly indicated that the administration’s action did not appear to comply with existing federal appellate precedent governing White House press access, according to Reuters. He nevertheless stopped short of ordering the journalists readmitted Wednesday.
The dispute has expanded beyond the three organizations directly affected. The television network press pool suspended its coverage of presidential events after CNN was prevented from performing its assigned pool duties, while other major news organizations have taken solidarity measures.
Kelly’s role carries additional significance. Trump appointed him to the federal bench in 2017, and Kelly previously ordered the restoration of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s White House credentials during Trump’s first administration.
No timetable for Kelly’s ruling was announced Wednesday.
For now, the underlying constitutional question remains unresolved, and so does the immediate reality for the journalists involved: CNN, MS NOW and Politico remain outside the White House gates.
In Other News: Harvey Weinstein Sentenced to 15 Years
In New York, disgraced film producer Harvey Weinstein was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison for sexually assaulting former television production assistant Miriam Haley in his Manhattan apartment in 2006.
Judge Curtis Farber imposed the sentence following Weinstein’s conviction for first-degree criminal sexual act. The sentence also includes five years of post-release supervision, and Weinstein will be required to register as a sex offender.
Weinstein’s original 2020 New York conviction was overturned by the New York Court of Appeals in 2024, resulting in a retrial. He was again convicted of sexually assaulting Haley.
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