Power Grab/Fire anyone who can stop him
The White House keeps CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters out for hours after a judge orders their access restored
Judge Timothy Kelly’s 14-day order came early on September 24, 2026; the White House says it learned of it at 7:10 a.m. and had badges available at 9:55 a.m.
What happened
Early on September 24, 2026, Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to immediately return, reinstate and restore access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days. He found a likely Fifth Amendment due process violation.
Later that morning the Secret Service denied entry to the 3 outlets’ reporters, who asked for an emergency hearing ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit. In a filing before a 12:30 p.m. deadline, White House press operations director Micah Stopperich said the administration learned of the order at 7:10 a.m., began restoring credentials at 7:25 a.m. and had badges available at 9:55 a.m.
CNN and MS NOW said their journalists were still barred from the arrival at Chinese President Xi Jinping’s state dinner after the order. The White House said badges had been available since 9:55 a.m., and the outlets had asked for an emergency hearing before Xi’s visit began.
Who benefited
The White House kept the 3 outlets’ reporters away from the morning’s events for hours after the order, and it cited the timing of its own notice. Stopperich’s filing said the administration learned of the order at 7:10 a.m. and had badges ready at 9:55 a.m. The state dinner arrival for Xi Jinping went ahead without them.
Who wanted something
The 3 outlets wanted in, and they asked the court for an emergency hearing ahead of Xi’s visit. The White House’s filing before the 12:30 p.m. deadline set out its timeline: notice at 7:10 a.m., credentials restored from 7:25 a.m., badges available at 9:55 a.m.
Who lost out
CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters were turned away from the White House the morning of a court order requiring access. CNN and MS NOW said their journalists were still barred from the state dinner arrival for Chinese President Xi Jinping. They lost coverage of the arrival hours after the court ruled.
Why it matters
The Secret Service denied entry to 3 outlets’ reporters after the judge’s order, and badges were not available until 9:55 a.m. The White House says it complied from 7:25 a.m. CNN and MS NOW say their journalists were still barred from Xi’s arrival. A 14-day order was in effect throughout.