CNN, MS NOW and Politico go back to court over Oval Office and Air Force One access

CNN, MS NOW and Politico amended their lawsuit against the White House on Wednesday. They want full access, including the right to serve in the press pool in the Oval Office and on Air Force One ¹. President Donald Trump banned the three outlets from the White House in September ¹.

A federal judge has already restored much of their access. The outlets say the White House is still shutting them out of pool work they have long done ¹. The press pool is a small group of reporters who share what they see and record with everyone else, and it is a key source of information for the public about what a president does or says ¹.

What the amended complaint says

The complaint says CNN has been repeatedly barred from its role as television pooler aboard Air Force One. CNN has held that role for more than four decades ¹. It says MS NOW has not taken part in the secondary TV pool since Sept. 18, and that Politico was barred from two scheduled print pool trips on Air Force One ¹.

The suit says the White House has offered no official explanation for any of these exclusions ¹. Earlier coverage found CNN was dropped from the TV pool for a Texas and Oklahoma trip on Oct. 1, less than a week after the judge's first order ².

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The outlets argue the exclusions are "unlawful retaliation for protected First Amendment activity." They also say the ban violates the Due Process Clause of the Constitution, because they got no advance notice and no chance to be heard ¹. The suit is in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. ¹.

The president's own words

The suit points to Trump's own statements. It says he has been explicit that he wants to limit Oval Office access to news organizations that cover him favorably ¹.

The suit also notes that after the judge's October ruling, the White House issued a statement saying what it deems the "Fake News" has "no place demanding a spot in the President's Oval Office" ¹.

How the case got here

Trump announced the ban on Sept. 18. The next day, reporters from the three outlets were denied entry and had their passes taken away ¹. They sued two days later, naming Trump, Communications Director Steven Cheung, Chief of Staff Susan Wiles and Secret Service Director Sean Curran ¹.

Judge Tim Kelly, whom Trump appointed in 2017, issued a temporary order on Sept. 23. He said the ban appeared to violate two appeals court rulings requiring advance notice and a chance to respond before a reporter's press pass is revoked ¹. On Oct. 13 he issued a preliminary injunction that indefinitely bars the White House from reinstating the ban while the case continues. He said the outlets were likely to win two First Amendment claims, retaliation and viewpoint discrimination ¹.

Kelly's orders did not require the White House to restore access to the Oval Office or Air Force One ¹. The amended complaint asks the court to close that gap.

What happens next

The case continues before Judge Kelly. The amended complaint sets up a fight over whether a president can block individual outlets from areas other journalists can enter because of how those outlets cover him ¹. No hearing date was given in the coverage we reviewed.

That matters because the pool is how Americans, including readers who rely on television news, see and hear a president in real time. The outlets say they bear the costs of staffing that pool for everyone ¹. The pattern the suit describes is one of access tied to favorable coverage, which is the kind of question courts have to settle.

The Record

1. Sep 18, 2026Trump announces a ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House ¹.
2. Sep 23, 2026Judge Tim Kelly issues a temporary restraining order restoring access for at least 14 days ¹.
3. Oct 13, 2026Kelly issues a preliminary injunction barring the ban while the suit continues ¹.
4. Oct 28, 2026The outlets amend their complaint to seek pool access in the Oval Office and on Air Force One ¹.

Sources

1. CNBC, “Three media outlets seek full White House access in amended lawsuit” (2026-10-28). cnbc.com/2026/10/28/trump-white-house-media-ban-cnn-msnow-po
2. TheDesk.net, “White House again bans CNN from press pool” (2026-10-01). thedesk.net/2026/10/white-house-again-bans-cnn-press-pool/

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