Judge Tells Trump to Let CNN Back In — Trump Ignores It and Blocks Them Again

A federal judge has ordered the White House to restore press access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico after President Donald Trump banned the three outlets — but the administration is refusing to comply, leaving the journalists locked out of official events anyway [249189][250461].

The conflict began last Friday, when Trump barred the three news organizations from the White House, reportedly because he disliked their "negative" coverage [246942]. When journalists from the outlets tried to enter the White House the next day, Secret Service agents physically seized their press passes [246942].

The three outlets sued the administration, arguing the ban violates the First Amendment, which protects freedom of the press [248809][247182]. During a federal court hearing on Wednesday, lawyers for the White House and the news organizations argued over whether the ban was constitutional [248465].

A judge then ordered their access temporarily restored, finding that banning specific journalists because of their reporting is likely unconstitutional [249189]. But the Trump administration has not complied. The three news organizations remain excluded from press briefings and other White House access [249189]. On Saturday, CNN was again kept out of the press pool traveling with Trump to Tennessee, despite the judge's order [250461].

Legal experts say the standoff could return to court, where the judge may hold the administration in contempt for ignoring the order [249189]. The case could set a major precedent for how the White House works with the news media [247182].