WASHINGTON — The Justice Department asked a federal court late Friday to let President Donald Trump reinstate his ban on three major news outlets from the White House, ahead of a hearing next week in the legal fight over press access, according to CNN and USA Today.
In the Oct. 2 filing, DOJ lawyers argued the federal trial court in Washington, DC, should not block the president’s ban until a final ruling on its legality. The filing said Trump had determined CNN, MS NOW and Politico “published stories that adversely affect national security, including publishing possibly classified or sensitive information.”
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, issued a temporary restraining order on Sept. 24 halting the ban; it expires around Oct. 8. The outlets asked on Sept. 28 for longer-term protection, writing the White House’s “words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban” if allowed.
In a Monday-night filing, the news companies called the ban an “unlawful assault on the most fundamental First Amendment freedoms.” Kelly will hold a hearing on Thursday on their request for a preliminary injunction, which would last longer while the case plays out.
CNN reported the filing offered no new evidence of a national-security threat from the outlets’ reporting, and that the DOJ said it need not show they had “actually published classified information” to justify the ban. Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18; the outlets sued after their reporters were denied White House entry the next day.
Sources
- CNN — “Justice Department asks court to let Trump reinstate White House press ban” — https://www.cnn.com/2026/10/02/politics/justice-department-asks-court-allow-white-house-press-ban?cid=external-feeds_iluminar_meta
- USA Today — “Trump seeks ability to again ban media outlets from White House” — https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2026/10/02/trump-media-ban-lawsuit-judge-cnn-msnow-politico/91912359007/