Judge Orders White House to Restore Media Access for Two Weeks

Knoxville, TN, September 24, 2026 —

Washington D.C. – U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly has issued an order requiring the White House to reinstate press credentials for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The ruling mandates the immediate restoration of access for a period of two weeks following an emergency hearing held on the matter.

The specific details of the emergency hearing and the reasons behind the White House’s initial decision to revoke or restrict access for these news organizations were not detailed in the provided summary. However, the court’s intervention signals a temporary resolution to the dispute concerning the media outlets’ presence at White House events and briefings.

The order by Judge Kelly is a direct mandate to the executive branch, specifically targeting the conditions under which these three media outlets can operate and report from the White House. The duration of this restored access is explicitly set for a fortnight, after which the situation may be subject to further review or change. The exact timeline for the commencement of this two-week period is immediate, as per the judge’s directive.

The entities affected by this judicial order are major news organizations: Cable News Network (CNN), MS NOW, and Politico. Their ability to access White House grounds and personnel for reporting purposes had been in question, leading to the emergency legal action.

No further information regarding the proceedings, the arguments presented by either side, or the ultimate outcome beyond the two-week restoration period was made available in the initial summary. The contractor’s name or any other involved parties beyond the judge and the news outlets were not specified.

Story summarized from the original created by Zach Schonfeld and The Hill on www.wate.com, see more information here.

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