What the injunction does

The preliminary injunction blocks the defendants - with President Trump himself carved out - from executing, implementing or enforcing the 18 September 2026 decision to revoke the outlets' hard pass press credentials, and it requires the media plaintiffs to post a bond of $1. The order, issued on Tuesday, keeps CNN, MS Now and Politico journalists able to enter the building while their lawsuit against the Trump administration moves forward.

The injunction was sought after the earlier temporary restraining order expired on Tuesday, which brought the media companies into court late last week to ask for the longer-lasting relief. The underlying lawsuit could take months to resolve, and the ruling holds the outlets' access in place in the meantime.

Judge's written findings

In his written ruling, Judge Timothy Kelly found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed not only on their due process claim, but also on their two First Amendment claims. He also wrote that President Trump's own comments suggest that he intended the revocation of Plaintiffs' hard passes to alter their reporting on him.

From restraining order to injunction

The ruling is the latest step in a dispute that has moved quickly through the courts:

• •18 September 2026: the White House revokes the outlets' hard pass press credentials, the decision the injunction now blocks.
• •The ban follows Trump's stated reason that it was a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS.
• •21 September: the organizations file suit, seeking to overturn the ban as a violation of their rights under the US constitution.
• •24 September: Judge Timothy Kelly grants a 14-day reprieve for the news organizations.
• •Tuesday: the temporary restraining order expires, and the companies ask for a preliminary injunction.

Plaintiffs' response

Theodore J Boutrous, the lawyer for the media organizations, welcomed the ruling in a statement, saying the court "was right to enjoin the White House from enforcing this 'unconstitutional ban on the free press' for the foreseeable future".

In the same statement, Boutrous argued that "When the President issued his 'ban on the free press,' he blatantly and explicitly violated due process and the First Amendment". He added that the President has repeatedly, candidly, and consistently admitted in public that he banned our clients from the White House to punish reporting he doesn't like.

The lawsuit now continues with the injunction in force, preserving the three outlets' access to the White House while the case is decided.