President Trump has spent the past few weeks waging a public battle with the news media, banning outlets from the White House and running government-funded ads that praise himself while warning about communism. The fight is not new, but it has reached a new stage as midterm elections approach. Trump has barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House over their coverage of his administration. A U.S. district judge ruled in favor of those outlets, ordering their White House press passes temporarily restored during court proceedings. CNN faced issues the day after the ruling, and the White House appears to have exploited a loophole in the judge’s order by denying CNN access despite the restoration ruling.
Trump also hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state visit and told him China had the friendliest press corps. China’s press corps is subject to strict state control.
Judge’s Ruling
The judge’s ruling was a temporary victory for the news outlets. Their press passes were restored during court proceedings. But the White House has found ways to deny them access anyway, suggesting the fight is far from over.
The ruling applies only temporarily. Its terms are narrow. It does not require the White House to restore full access beyond the court proceedings themselves. That is why the White House has been able to deny CNN access to the White House entirely, even as the judge’s order temporarily restored their press passes during court proceedings. The White House has found a way around the decision.
The Ad Campaign
Trump has run government-funded ads praising himself, focusing on preventing communism, with a choir singing “Love Me, Love Me” in the background. He denied CNN the ability to travel on Air Force One to cover a college football game in Tennessee.
The White House has also moved to deny CNN access to the White House entirely, though the judge’s order temporarily restored their press passes during court proceedings. The White House appears to have found a way around that ruling.
The State Visit
During his meeting with Xi Jinping, Trump praised China’s press corps as friendly. That contrasted sharply with his treatment of American outlets.
China’s press corps operates under strict state control. The comparison was pointed: Trump was telling the world that he preferred a press corps controlled by the government to one that asks questions. The irony is stark. Trump has banned American outlets from the White House for asking questions, while praising a press corps that answers to the state.
Approval Numbers
Polls show more people want Democrats to control Congress on the generic ballot question. Trump’s approval rating among Republicans is slipping.
Democrats are favored to retake the House but likely not by a large margin. The Senate races are tighter. In Michigan, Maine and New Hampshire, strong Republican candidates are running: Susan Collins in Maine, Mike Rogers in Michigan, John Sununu in New Hampshire. All three Senate races are considered toss-ups.
Democrats need to net four pickups to take back control of the Senate. The war in Iran remains hugely unpopular, even among Republican voters. A small but growing number of Republicans in Congress oppose the war.
Voters see a direct link between the war and higher gas and diesel prices. The cost of living is the top issue in the election.
The Loophole
The White House’s approach to the judge’s order is notable. Rather than comply fully, it has found ways to restrict access without violating the letter of the ruling.
This is not a technicality. It is a pattern: the White House sets a rule, the courts strike it down, and the White House finds a way around the decision. The judge’s order temporarily restored press passes during court proceedings, but the White House has found ways to deny CNN access anyway. The White House has shown it can find ways around the law, at least in practice.
Network Response
The other major networks initially refused to operate the White House press pool in solidarity with CNN and the other banned outlets. That solidarity has broken down, and networks are now making case-by-case decisions about how to handle the pool.
The shift is significant. When the networks refused to operate the pool, they were acting together. Now each network is deciding for itself. This marks a change in how the networks are handling the situation.
Broad Context
The judge’s order was a temporary setback rather than a permanent fix. The White House has shown it can find ways around the judge’s order.
| Outlet | Treatment | Status |
|---|---|---|
| CNN | Banned from White House | Press pass temporarily restored by judge’s order |
| Politico | Banned from White House | Press pass temporarily restored by judge’s order |
| MS NOW | Banned from White House | Press pass temporarily restored by judge’s order |
| Other networks | Refused to operate press pool | Now making case-by-case decisions |
The White House has found ways to deny CNN access despite the restoration ruling. The loophole approach is a warning sign. It shows the White House can find ways around the law, at least in practice, and that the fight is far from over.
The midterm elections are approaching. The White House has shown it can find ways around the law, at least in practice. Whether that changes the outcome is not yet clear.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs the judge’s order restoring CNN’s press pass and is against the White House exploiting loopholes to deny CNN access anyway. The judge’s ruling was temporary and narrow, but the White House’s response — finding ways to deny CNN access regardless — crosses a line.
The judge’s order temporarily restored press passes during court proceedings. The White House has found ways to deny CNN access entirely, even as the judge’s order restored their passes during court proceedings. That is the core dispute, and the paper supports the judge’s order.
The paper supports smaller government and less control over people’s lives, and power that gathers in one place gets abused. An office that writes its own authority, mandates on private life, and gathers power should be watched closely, whichever party holds it.
Source material: “Politics chat: Trump vs the media; rolling back health and education spending,” NPR.
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