Vice President JD Vance mocked two news organizations currently barred from the White House during a fraud task force event on Tuesday, September 22, 2026. Appearing alongside Mehmet Oz, the administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Vance asked the audience if anyone from CNN or Politico was present to ask questions. After receiving no response, Vance smiled and gave Oz a thumbs-up as the CMS administrator laughed.
The event followed a Friday announcement by President Trump on Truth Social that he was barring CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the White House. The president stated the decision was based on "cumulative stories" and what he characterized as "fake news" over his second term. In response, the three news organizations filed a joint federal lawsuit on Monday, September 21, claiming the ban is a "direct assault on the First Amendment" and a violation of due process under the Fifth Amendment.
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, was randomly assigned to oversee the lawsuit on Monday. Kelly has set a Tuesday deadline for the administration to respond to the legal challenge, with a hearing scheduled for Wednesday afternoon to consider the media outlets' request for an immediate lifting of the ban. The judge previously ruled against the first Trump administration in 2018 when it suspended the credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, citing a lack of due process.
The legal proceedings involve fundamental constitutional questions regarding whether a president can exclude specific news organizations based on their coverage. While the administration argues it has the right to decide who is "embedded" in the building, the news outlets' attorneys argue that "viewpoint discrimination" violates the First Amendment. The case rests on a 1977 U.S. Court of Appeals ruling, Sherrill v. Knight, which established that reporters cannot be denied a White House press pass without a clear explanation and due process. A ruling in favor of the media outlets would set a modern precedent for press access, while a ruling for the administration could change how the executive branch manages its daily interactions with the media.
For the public, the immediate impact is a change in how information is disseminated from the executive branch. The White House recently launched "Trump TV," a 24/7 YouTube streaming service, to broadcast its own announcements and events directly. Meanwhile, the Associated Press and other organizations continue separate legal battles over administration policies, such as the mandate to use the name "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico." The next step in the current lawsuit is the Wednesday hearing, which will determine if the journalists regain entry to the White House while the broader case proceeds.