Trump Administration Cites National Security — and Bad ‘Vibes’ — to Justify Press Ban

President Donald Trump walks from Marine One to board Air Force One at John F. Kennedy International Airport, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

Three major press outlets were banned from the White House in part because of… vibes.

President Donald Trump’s Justice Department cited a Politico story about bad “vibes” at the Republican Midterm Convention as an example of coverage it factored into its decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.

The organizations have since sued to regain access. As part of the case, the administration sent unsigned letters to each outlet justifying the ban, including one to Politico citing a Sept. 9 story with the headline, ” ‘The vibes are very bad’ in Texas.”

According to the filing, the outlets have until Friday to contest the administration’s argument.

Other apparently objectionable stories from the three outlets included items about the war with Iran; the United States’ dwindling munitions; an investigation of a leak in regard to controversial stories about FBI Director Kash Patel; and a Politico story that included a handout from the Secret Service to Senate Republicans.

The Justice Department is hoping Trump-appointed U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly will overturn a nearly 50-year-old legal precedent from the case Sherrill v. Knight, which established that press cannot be banned from the White House based on their reporting.

“The President determined that Plaintiffs have failed to maintain minimum professional journalistic standards by publishing classified and national security information,” according to a recent Trump Administration legal filing.

A lawyer for the outlets slammed the DOJ’s position as “exceptionally weak.”

A hearing in the case is slated for Wednesday afternoon.

“We look forward to the hearing,” attorney Ted Boutrous told Politico.

The press ban led to a boycott by several major news networks.

On Monday, Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News joined forces and pulled their TV cameras from White House pool.

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