Donald Trump’s latest confrontation with CNN unfolded outside the White House, but directly inside a growing court fight over who gets access to cover his administration.
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While arriving at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Tuesday, September 22, CNN chief White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins questioned Trump about a poll showing broad public pessimism about the U.S. war with Iran. Instead of immediately addressing the question, Trump challenged the network’s presence.
“You shouldn’t be here. You should not be here covering me,” Trump told Collins.
Collins responded that CNN had been credentialed by the United Nations. That distinction is important because the White House ban Trump announced days earlier applies to access controlled by his administration, not credentials independently issued by the U.N.
The tense exchange came just one day after CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a federal lawsuit against Trump and other administration officials. The three news organizations argue that being removed from White House grounds because of their coverage violates First Amendment protections for speech and the press, as well as Fifth Amendment due process protections.
Trump announced the ban on Friday, September 18, accusing the three outlets of repeatedly reporting “FICTION and LIES.” By Saturday, journalists for all three organizations were being denied access. CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein, MS NOW correspondent Akayla Gardner and Politico reporter Cheyenne Haslett were among those whose credentials were deactivated or confiscated when they attempted to enter the complex.
The organizations are now asking a federal judge for a temporary restraining order that would restore their access while the larger lawsuit proceeds. A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, September 23, before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington.
At the center of the lawsuit is what the outlets describe as viewpoint discrimination. They argue that once the government creates a system allowing credentialed journalists access, officials cannot selectively remove organizations simply because they object to the substance of their reporting. The lawsuit also argues that the outlets received no meaningful notice or process before their credentials were taken away.
The White House disputes that interpretation. In a statement reported by the Associated Press, the administration said, “White House access is a privilege — not a right.” Officials have also argued that the First Amendment protects the outlets’ ability to publish but does not automatically guarantee a White House hard pass, briefing room seat or position in the press pool.
Trump has separately defended his decision by saying he is targeting what he calls “FAKE NEWS,” rather than attacking the free press. The outlets maintain that the president’s own statements about their coverage help establish that their reporting was the reason for the ban.
The dispute quickly expanded beyond the three organizations. CNN had been scheduled to handle television pool coverage for Trump’s trip to New York for the U.N. General Assembly. After CNN was prevented from completing that assignment, the other television networks participating in the rotating pool declined to replace it and suspended presidential pool coverage.
That pool system matters because there is often not enough physical space for every journalist and camera crew to follow a president into smaller locations. Selected reporters and crews therefore cover events on behalf of the broader press corps and distribute their material widely.
This is also not CNN’s first courtroom fight with Trump over White House credentials.
In November 2018, CNN and correspondent Jim Acosta sued after the Trump White House revoked Acosta’s press pass following a contentious news conference. Judge Kelly, who is also handling the new case, temporarily ordered the administration to restore Acosta’s credential. Importantly, Kelly’s ruling at that stage focused on Fifth Amendment due process. He did not decide CNN’s broader First Amendment claim.
The current lawsuit also arrives amid several other recent press access battles involving the Trump administration.
The Associated Press sued in 2025 after the White House restricted its access to smaller presidential events, including the Oval Office and Air Force One. That dispute began after the AP declined to fully adopt Trump’s preferred “Gulf of America” name for the Gulf of Mexico. A federal district judge initially ordered the administration to end viewpoint-based restrictions, but an appeals court later stayed enforcement of that ruling while the case continued.
The New York Times has also challenged Trump administration press policies at the Pentagon. A federal judge ruled against key portions of Defense Department credentialing restrictions in 2026, although appeals litigation has continued over additional rules, including a requirement that journalists be escorted inside parts of the Pentagon.
The cases involve different policies and facts, but each raises questions about how much discretion federal officials have when granting or withdrawing access from journalists.
For now, CNN can continue covering Trump at locations where the White House does not control the credentials. Tuesday’s U.N. encounter demonstrated exactly that, with Collins questioning Trump in New York despite her network being barred from White House grounds.
The next major development will come in federal court, where Judge Kelly is expected to consider whether CNN, MS NOW and Politico should immediately regain their White House access while the constitutional fight moves forward.
