Trump administration accuses banned media outlets of 'falsehoods' ahead of court hearing

September 23, 2026

The Trump administration has formally defended its decision to ban CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from White House access by claiming these outlets published false information that threatened national security. The Justice Department's court filing specifically cited stories about White House construction projects and internal leak investigations as problematic reporting. The three news organizations have jointly sued the government, arguing the ban violates First Amendment press freedom protections, with a judge scheduled to rule Wednesday on whether to temporarily lift the restrictions.

Who is affected

CNN, Politico, and MS NOW (banned media outlets)
Reporters from these three organizations who had their White House press passes confiscated
The US Justice Department (defending the ban in court)
President Donald Trump and the White House administration
Major TV networks (withdrawing from media pool arrangement)
The general public (affected by reduced independent press access)

What action is being taken

The Justice Department is filing court documents accusing the three outlets of spreading falsehoods
The three banned media outlets are jointly pursuing legal action against the government
A judge is preparing to rule on Wednesday on a temporary lifting of the ban
Major TV networks are withdrawing from the White House media pool arrangement in protest
The White House is operating Trump TV, a 24/7 streaming channel

Why it matters

This case represents a significant confrontation over First Amendment press freedom rights and the government's ability to control media access to the White House. The ban sets a precedent for potentially restricting independent journalism based on content the administration disagrees with, which threatens the role of the press as a check on governmental power. The outcome will determine whether the executive branch can unilaterally revoke press credentials without due process when it objects to reporting.

What's next

A judge is scheduled to rule on Wednesday whether to issue an order temporarily lifting the ban, pending a full hearing on the matter.

Read full article from source: BBC