A federal judge on Thursday extended a temporary block on President Donald Trump’s attempt to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from receiving press credentials to access White House grounds. Judge Timothy J. Kelly of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia said he would decide by next week whether to prolong the injunction while he reviews the legal arguments involved.

The dispute began after Trump announced on September 18 via social media that the three news organizations would be banned from White House coverage the following day. In response, the outlets filed a lawsuit challenging the move. Judge Kelly had initially granted a two-week reprieve from the ban, which expired Thursday.

At the hearing, attorneys for the media companies argued that their access should continue during the pendency of the lawsuit, which could extend for several months. Government lawyers acknowledged the president’s authority to restrict access but contended that the White House followed proper procedures in imposing the ban. According to court filings, the White House notified the news organizations after the ban was imposed, giving them three days to submit a written response challenging the decision. None of the outlets took up that offer before Judge Kelly’s initial two-week grace period expired. White House counsel Michael Velchik characterized the lack of response as the media companies’ choice not to defend themselves.

The media’s lawyer Theodore J. Boutrous countered that the White House process was a “sham,” asserting that the ban stemmed from a predetermined decision by the president rather than due process.

Thursday’s proceedings focused solely on the restoration of the outlets’ press credentials and did not directly address issues related to press pool assignments, which have become another point of contention. Press pool assignments involve rotating groups of credentialed journalists who cover the president in confined spaces, such as Air Force One or the Oval Office, where full press corps access is impractical.

Since February 2025, the White House assumed control over pool rotations, a role previously managed jointly by the White House Correspondents’ Association and the press corps. Trump’s administration has used this authority to exclude CNN and Politico from certain pool assignments. For example, CNN was barred twice from serving as the television pool representative during presidential trips in late September and early October, while Politico was excluded from pool duties on a recent trip to Nebraska. MS NOW executive officials also stated that the outlet was entirely suspended from pool coverage of Trump, breaking a longstanding practice.

White House spokesman Davis Ingle defended the administration’s position, emphasizing the president’s interest in addressing media bias and delivering messages directly to the public. A White House official noted that MS NOW’s original inclusion in the press pool was unusual.

In their court filings, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have sought restoration of the same level of access and pool participation they previously enjoyed prior to the September ban.

This is not the first time the White House has restricted certain media organizations from pool access. In February 2025, Associated Press reporters were removed from the pool after the service refused to adopt the administration’s preferred term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” The AP filed suit and initially regained access through a federal court order, but that ruling was later stayed pending appeal.

As Judge Kelly considers whether to maintain or dissolve the block on the White House ban, tensions over media access continue to highlight broader disagreements between the administration and news organizations regarding press freedoms and coverage.