White House Press Ban Sparks Courtroom Standoff

CNN and MS NOW reporters say they were denied entry to cover guests arriving for a White House state dinner for Chinese leader Xi Jinping, despite a federal judge’s order temporarily restoring access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The outlets said they had submitted reporters’ names for credentials. CNN reported that the White House would allow only a photojournalist and audio technician, not a team including a reporter and producer. MS NOW reporter Laura Barron-Lopez said staff turned her away and directed her to the White House communications director. The White House disputed the outlets’ characterization of its access rules in a post on X. The denial followed a chaotic day in which all three outlets initially reported that they were still barred, prompting an emergency court request. A White House Operations official then told the court that press passes and confiscated badges had been restored; the outlets later said they had regained entry. Other networks, including Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC, had pulled out in solidarity but had not confirmed whether they would resume White House coverage. The standoff limited some television coverage as Donald Trump welcomed Xi. Judge Timothy Kelly ruled that the ban was likely unconstitutional because it likely violated the outlets’ due process rights. He ordered their press passes returned and enforcement of the ban halted for 14 days, finding the outlets were likely to succeed in showing that the White House had not provided adequate due process. He also questioned the administration’s national-security rationale, noting that Trump had not cited security when he first announced the ban. The Justice Department had argued that the outlets’ reporting threatened national security, citing stories on missile stockpiles, a White House ballroom and a Republican midterm convention. Trump had barred the outlets the previous week, accusing them of publishing “fiction or lies” and “fake news.” The outlets said the ban violated their constitutional rights and pursued legal action to defend press freedom. More than 50 media organizations, including Fox News and several major newspapers, supported their lawsuit in an amicus brief. The article notes a previous dispute in 2009, when the Obama administration tried to exclude Fox News from a press-pool interview but reversed course after other networks objected.

CNN, MS NOW and Politico returned to the White House on Thursday, September 24, after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore their press access. District Judge Timothy Kelly found that revoking the outlets’ credentials likely violated their constitutional due process rights, because people generally must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the government deprives them of a protected interest. President Donald Trump had barred the three outlets from reporting at the White House for six days. Although the journalists initially encountered resistance from the Secret Service when they tried to enter, they were later allowed back onto the grounds. Their access remained limited. CNN said two of its journalists were denied permission to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House for a state dinner, and MS NOW reported that its journalists were also excluded from the arrival. The event took place during Xi’s visit to Washington. No major American network aired live coverage of the arrival. After CNN was removed from a rotation of five major broadcasters that share video through a pool, the other four outlets declined to take part, in a show of solidarity. The White House Press Office defended its actions in a letter to CNN, accusing the network of publishing false claims about national security and other matters, as well as sensitive or classified information. It made similar allegations against MS NOW and Politico. The letter cited CNN stories about the US-Iran war and Trump’s plans for a military bunker beneath a proposed East Wing ballroom, which the administration said disclosed top-secret construction details. The article reports the competing claims and access developments without resolving the White House’s allegations.

US television networks are set to resume coverage of President Donald Trump’s events, CNN reporter Kristen Holmes said on Sept 25, as a legal dispute continues over the administration’s recent decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House complex. CNN said it would cover Trump’s planned visit to the National Archives with Chinese President Xi Jinping, where the president was expected to tour the building that houses the US Constitution and other founding documents. Holmes made the announcement from White House grounds, where CNN’s access had been restored the previous day. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Trump had barred the outlets the previous week, alleging their coverage was false or negative. A federal judge ruled that the ban was likely unconstitutional and ordered their access restored immediately. Despite the ruling, the White House television press pool had initially declined to resume coverage until CNN was formally reinstated, acting in solidarity with the network. The pool is shared by CNN, ABC, CBS, FOX News and NBC, which rotate responsibility for covering the president and provide footage to other outlets. The pool’s refusal to position cameras had left Xi’s Washington visit without pool coverage. CNN’s announcement indicated that coverage would resume on Sept 25: Holmes said CNN would be at the National Archives and CBS would provide pool coverage at the White House. CBS was listed as the pool camera for events on Trump’s public schedule that day.

US President Donald Trump accused CNN and MSNBC—referred to in his post as “MSDNC”—of declining to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, arriving at the White House. In a Truth Social post, Trump claimed the outlets avoided the event because they did not want to give him credit. He described the arrival as a major, television-worthy occasion and said the White House state dinner for Xi that evening would be spectacular. Trump also attributed the outlets’ falling ratings to what he called a lack of credibility and their negative coverage of him, while citing his election performance and what he characterized as the country’s successes. The article places Trump’s accusation against the backdrop of a legal fight over White House press access. Earlier that Thursday, US District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to restore access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. Kelly, who was appointed by Trump, said the outlets were likely to succeed in arguing that the access ban was unconstitutional. He cited the general rule that people must receive notice and an opportunity to be heard before the government deprives them of a constitutionally protected interest. The dispute began after Trump announced on social media that he was immediately banning the three outlets from the White House, accusing them of publishing “fake news.” He also alleged that Politico had received an improper $8 million government subscription under former President Joe Biden. CNN, MS NOW, and Politico subsequently sued the administration. They said their legal action was intended to defend the principle that the government should not determine what the press reports. The article reports both Trump’s claims and the court order and lawsuit, without independently establishing whether the outlets covered Xi’s arrival or assessing the truth of the competing claims.