ReportCNN, MS NOW, Politico Sue White House as TV Pool Goes Dark Before HearingAired September 23, 2026 at 4:44 AM UTCWritten September 23, 2026 at 4:46 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:11Three major newsrooms are locked out of the White House, with the president in New0:15York for United Nations Week.0:17No American TV pool camera is following him, and still photographers held their0:21pictures for a day.0:22Will a federal judge order those passes restored this afternoon?0:26And on what terms?0:27The lockout started with an announcement that CNN, MS Now, and Politico were banned0:32effective immediately for fiction and lies and fake news.0:35The president later described it as cumulative about coverage over recent years, not0:39a single story.0:40The next day, hard passes were deactivated or taken, and reporters were turned away0:44at the complex, including Betsy Klein of CNN, Akaela Gardner of MS Now, and Cheyenne0:49Hazlitt of Politico.0:51The Correspondents Association president called for immediate restoration.0:55The three organizations plus their three correspondents filed together on Monday in0:59the district court for the District of Columbia as case 126 CVA03287.1:04They seek a temporary restraining order and injunction restoring credentials and1:08access immediately and barring further enforcement, plus declaratory relief.1:12The suit names Donald Trump in his official capacity as president, communications1:16director Stephen Chung, Secret Service Director Sean Curran, and Chief of Staff1:21Susie Wiles.1:22Counsel includes Theodore J.1:23Boutris Jr.1:24of Gibson Dunn, who also represented CNN in the 2018 fight over Jim Acosta.1:29The legal attack runs on two tracks.1:31The outlets allege First Amendment retaliation for past coverage called fake, sick,1:35and purposely negative and viewpoint discrimination in White House access.1:39The briefing room and the pool.1:40They allege Fifth Amendment due process violations because there was no notice and1:44no chance to contest before credentials were pulled after a social media1:47announcement.1:47The precedent invoked includes Cheryl v.1:50Knight, 569 F22D124, decided December 15, 1977,1:55which requires notice, an opportunity to rebut and a written decision, with1:59restrictions no more arduous than necessary and not arbitrary, plus Karim v.2:04Trump from 2020.2:05After CNN was blocked, Pool Chair Brian Botton, the Fox News Washington Bureau2:09chief, emailed that effective that day the T V pool would not cover events2:13designated as presidential pool coverage.2:16and would not put a replacement in place.2:17ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC refused to replace CNN, saying in a joint statement the2:23public has a vital interest in independent information and no administration should2:27restrict an outlet because it objects to reporting.2:30White House listings used Hearst as secondary television in Washington and Real2:34America's Voice as secondary for New York, while the White House promoted its own2:38app and live streams and argued access is a privilege, not a First Amendment right.2:42On a joint base Andrews Tarmack before a North Carolina trip, the Vice President2:46rejected the word ban.2:48He said Trump was withholding special access and office space from outlets engaged2:52in effectively propaganda and far-left propaganda.2:55He said, the three outlets can still report from outside, use public materials and3:00talk to officials, called the move basic fairness, and put coverage of Trump and the3:04administration at about 92% negative and not representative of the American people3:08or public opinion.3:09He compared Politico's stance toward Trump to Breitbart's stance toward Obama and3:14Biden.3:14That number matches a tally of evening coverage on three broadcast networks in the3:19first 100 days of the second term.3:21Not a published study of CNN, MS Now, and Politico specifically, and he did not3:26source the number in the exchange.3:28Still, photographers joined for a day.3:30The Washington Post and photographers from the New York Times, AP, AFP, Reuters, and3:35Getty withheld publication of Trump images until midnight Tuesday, a one-day image3:39blackout that left no images Monday.3:41United Nations coverage operates under a separate credentialing system, so3:46correspondence could still appear on UN passes even without a White House pool, but3:50there was no traditional American network pool on the New York Travel.3:54History in the same courthouse weighs heavily.3:57After a November 7th, 2018 news conference dispute, Judge Kelly held a hearing on4:02November 16th, 2018 and ordered the administration to immediately return a cost as4:06press pass on a temporary basis, finding a Fifth Amendment due process violation in4:11a narrow ruling that did not decide the full First Amendment merits.4:14Acosta returned, litigation continued, and Trump said the administration was writing4:18new rules.4:19Kelly is a first-term Trump appointee.4:22Random assignment sent the new case to Kelly.4:24He ordered a Justice Department response by Tuesday night and set an expedited video4:29conference hearing for Wednesday afternoon at 3.30 p.m.4:32Eastern on restoring access.4:33Trump answered the new case by saying it was not an assault on the free press he4:36cherishes, but on fake news, which he called a national security threat.4:40He later said, drawing Kelly again was a great judge for them.4:43Recalled the Acosta ruling and previewed an appeal.4:46Reporters without hard passes cannot enter the briefing room, upper press offices or4:50the pool rotation that documents the presidency up close, leaving three major4:54newsrooms working off campus while the camera position built to guarantee4:57independent witness sits empty.4:59A draft amicus from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press was circulating5:03with AP Los Angeles Times, New York Times, ProPublica, Axios, Bloomberg, and Reuters5:09reported as considering or signing in draft status, not as a filed brief.5:13The hearing will decide whether credentials come back now or stay revoked while the5:17case proceeds.5:18What precise access was revoked, credentials, presence on grounds, briefing room,5:22offices, pool rotation, office space, and special access, and how long the5:25revocation is intended to last, and whether the solidarity suspension continues and5:29how pool duties are covered if it does.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSSThe shortThe short ↗