EXCLUSIVE: White House Used 'Bad Vibes' Story and Iran Reporting to Justify Trump's CNN, Politico and MS NOW Ban
Trump's White House cited reporting from CNN, POLITICO and MS NOW as it defended its decision to ban the outlets' journalists, according to a new court filing.
Sept. 30 2026, Published 6:27 p.m. ET
New details have been revealed behind the Trump administration's extraordinary battle with CNN, POLITICO and MS NOW over its decision to ban the news organizations from the White House, RadarOnline.com can exclusively report.
According to court documents exclusively obtained by Radar, the three media organizations claim the White House attempted to justify stripping their reporters' access by pointing to coverage ranging from the ongoing Iran war to the "vibes" at the Republican midterm convention – while invoking alleged national security concerns.
Trump's Press Ban
Trump announced the White House ban on September 18.
The revelations are contained in a 49-page memorandum filed September 28 as the outlets seek a preliminary injunction preventing the administration from reinstating the ban.
President Donald Trump announced on September 18 that journalists from CNN, POLITICO and MS NOW would be barred from the White House, accusing the organizations of producing "FAKE NEWS."
But the new filing takes aim at explanations subsequently offered by the administration for the dramatic move.
The plaintiffs claim the White House cited reporting on "highly newsworthy topics," including the Iran war, Trump's plans for a new White House ballroom, and the "'vibes' at" the Republican midterm convention in Dallas, while accusing the outlets of violating standards of professionalism and raising national security concerns.
The Iran Reporting
POLITICO's Iran coverage is at the center of the latest court fight.
One of the most striking allegations involves POLITICO's reporting on Iran.
According to the filing, the White House identified a June 12 article about the administration's negotiations with the Iranian government as one of the pieces that allegedly "threatened national security and/or spread falsehoods."
However, the media organizations claim the report was based on an authorized press call organized by the White House itself.
During that call, according to the filing, journalists were instructed by the White House to attribute quotes to an anonymous "senior administration official."
The 'Bad Vibes' Fight
CNN was among the three news organizations targeted by the White House ban.
The administration also identified a September 9 POLITICO article reporting on bad "vibes" at the Republican midterm convention among the six pieces cited to the outlet, the filing states.
CNN's cited coverage included reporting about plans to rebuild the bunker beneath the White House East Wing, depleted munitions and a United Nations report concerning a U.S. strike on a school in Iran.
MS NOW was confronted with three stories, according to the filing, including reporting that Trump had "underestimated the willingness of Iran to resume conflict," depleted munitions following the Iran conflict and an FBI leak investigation.
The outlets are challenging the administration's contention that national security played a legitimate role in the ban.
Battle Heads Back to Court
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MS NOW and the other outlets are seeking longer-lasting court protection from the ban.
A federal judge has already temporarily blocked enforcement of the measure and ordered the reporters' White House hard passes restored.
According to the filing, the court previously described the reporting identified by the administration as "routine" and said it was "skeptical" that safeguarding national security was the actual motivation behind revoking the credentials.
The media organizations now want the court to go further by issuing a preliminary injunction.
The current temporary restraining order is set to expire October 8, and the plaintiffs argue that without additional court intervention, the administration could again deactivate their credentials and prevent their journalists from reporting from inside the White House.
