White House Filing Claims President Has Authority to Bar News Outlets

In a court filing on Friday, the White House again argued that its move last month to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from its grounds was squarely within the bounds of presidential authority and asked a federal judge to deny a motion from the media outlets for a court order extending their access.

Throughout U.S. history, the government’s filing contended, presidents “have long decided which journalists should receive privileged access, which has varied substantially from administration to administration.”

The court battle began after President Trump announced on Sept. 18 that he would bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from entering the White House grounds.

The media organizations quickly sued to regain their access, and a federal court issued a two-week order requiring the White House to restore their press passes. That order expires on Thursday, and this week the three news outlets asked the court for a longer reprieve.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/02/business/trump-white-house-ban-cnn-politico-ms-now.html