The White House defied a federal court order on Thursday by confiscating press credentials from reporters just hours after a judge mandated their reinstatement. Journalists from Politico and MS NOW had their access denied despite US District Judge Timothy Kelly's temporary restraining order requiring the Trump administration to restore credentials to Politico, CNN and MS NOW, which were banned last Friday. This escalation has prompted major broadcasters including Fox News, NBC, CBS and ABC to refuse coverage of the president in solidarity with the banned outlets, creating a significant media blackout.

Trump banned the three outlets after accusing them of publishing "fake news", reportedly following a presentation of negative coverage by aide Natalie Harp. The resulting media blackout has prevented widespread live coverage of major events this week, including Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to Washington, with broadcast tents left vacant and correspondents forced to report from outside the White House grounds. The White House Correspondents' Association condemned the ban as a constitutional violation, stating that press protections exist regardless of whether the president approves of coverage or agrees with reporting.