Media outlets banned by Trump denied access to White House event

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico reporters were denied access to a White House state dinner for Chinese leader Xi Jinping, despite a federal judge's order requiring the administration to restore their access.

The judge ruled that the White House's ban on the three outlets was likely unconstitutional, citing a lack of due process and failing to justify the ban on national security grounds.

Reporters from the outlets were allowed back into the White House grounds on Thursday morning after the court's ruling, but were again denied entry later that evening when the state dinner began.

The outlets claimed they had submitted proper credentials for the event and were told by White House staff that they could not enter, with one reporter instructed to contact the White House communications director.

The White House responded by posting on X that media outlets do not have unrestricted access to all events and parts of the White House, contradicting the judge's ruling.

The incident followed a series of events on Thursday, including the outlets being denied access to the White House in the morning, which led to an emergency court hearing request.

The White House Operations director stated in a court filing that press passes had been restored by 09:45 local time, and the outlets confirmed they were allowed back in shortly after.