Reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico covered President Donald Trump’s visit to the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, using UN-issued media passes. The coverage occurred four days after President Trump banned the three outlets from White House grounds, and one day before a federal court hearing scheduled to address the legality of that ban. Upon seeing the journalists at the United Nations, President Trump stated they should not be there and claimed the outlets previously said they would not cover him, a claim CNN has not confirmed.
President Trump announced the ban on Friday, September 18, via social media, stating that the organizations should not be permitted to report what he characterized as fiction and lies while covering the presidency. On Monday, September 21, the three news organizations filed a lawsuit in Washington, D.C., against the president and members of his administration. The suit alleges that the ban violates First Amendment protections and seeks a temporary restraining order to block the action.
The case is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday, September 23, before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a 2017 Trump appointee. Judge Kelly previously ruled against President Trump in a 2018 case involving the revocation of a CNN journalist's press pass. On Tuesday, President Trump referred to Kelly as "not a particularly fair judge" and defended the media ban as a matter of "national security," stating he has a right to "clean out fake news." Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Vice President JD Vance also defended the administration’s stance, with Rubio stating that the outlets are restricted from working in the White House workspace.
CNN is one of five networks in the primary television pool that provides shared footage to local and national outlets. Because CNN could not provide its scheduled pool feed for the New York trip on Monday due to the ban, other major networks suspended their own pool coverage in protest. The White House on Monday launched "Trump TV," a proprietary government stream that broadcasts highlights of administration activities. A press freedom advocate, as reported by Reuters, stated this shift represented "a steady diet of government propaganda."
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly will preside over the hearing regarding the temporary restraining order on Wednesday, September 23, in Washington, D.C. The court will decide whether to immediately reinstate the media outlets' access to White House grounds while the broader First Amendment lawsuit proceeds. President Trump stated on Tuesday that he would "probably" let the outlets back if the court rules against him.