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CNN and MS NOW journalists were initially prevented from covering Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House on September 24, 2026, despite a federal judge ordering the Trump administration to immediately restore the news organizations’ access.
The confrontation unfolded as President Donald Trump prepared to welcome Xi for an official state visit and state dinner. The White House later restored access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico, but the dispute disrupted normal television coverage of Xi’s arrival and added another development to the ongoing legal battle over White House press access.
The Brief
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued an overnight temporary restraining order requiring the administration to return, reinstate and restore White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
Kelly found that the outlets had met the legal standard for temporary relief and said their press credentials had been revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. His order was set to remain in effect for 14 days while the broader lawsuit continued.
Despite the ruling, journalists from the affected organizations reported that they were still unable to enter the White House grounds Thursday morning.
CNN reported that one producer was able to enter with a hard pass, while other journalists attempting to enter were turned away. The organizations subsequently requested an emergency hearing over the continued restrictions.
What We Know
The immediate dispute centered on coverage of Xi's arrival ceremony. CNN reported that the White House had sought credentials for personnel covering the event and then limited which types of journalists could participate.
CNN correspondent Kristen Holmes and other editorial personnel were among those who attempted to cover the arrival. According to CNN's reporting, the network was told that its access would be limited, prompting further confrontation between the network and White House press officials.
The dispute came days after Trump announced that CNN, MS NOW and Politico would be barred from the White House. The administration defended the restrictions while the three organizations challenged them in federal court.
Judge Kelly's ruling rejected the administration's position that the press-pass revocations could proceed without additional procedural protections. He also expressed skepticism about the administration's national-security justification for the restrictions.
The controversy also affected the White House television pool. ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News traditionally share coverage of major presidential events through the pool system. CNN's exclusion led the other networks to suspend participation in the video pool, meaning there was no normal network pool feed for the arrival ceremony. CNN's own reporting confirmed that the five networks did not have a pool camera covering the event.
What’s Next
The White House ultimately restored access to CNN, MS NOW and Politico later Thursday, complying with the federal judge's order after several hours of uncertainty. Reuters reported that the administration confirmed the journalists' access had been reinstated.
The temporary restraining order does not resolve the underlying lawsuit. The case will continue to address whether the administration lawfully revoked the outlets' White House credentials and what procedures the government must follow when restricting press access.
The episode also leaves questions about the future of the White House press pool and how the administration will implement the court's order during major presidential events.
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