CNN, MS Now denied access to White House state dinner despite court ruling

Journalists from CNN and MS Now were denied access to a White House state dinner held in honor of Chinese President Xi Jinping on Thursday evening, despite a federal judge having ruled that the Trump administration must allow the outlets in after imposing a ban on them the previous week.

According to CNN's own reporting on the incident, about an hour before Xi's scheduled arrival, the White House said CNN could cover the event, but only with a photojournalist and audio technician, notably excluding the network's editorial team of a reporter and producer.

Other outlets respond

Other news networks boycotted the dinner in response to the continued exclusion of CNN and MS Now's editorial staff, signaling broader industry pushback against the restrictions despite the court's intervention.

The episode follows a ban the White House had imposed on the two outlets the prior week, which a federal judge subsequently ordered the administration to lift. The partial accommodation offered to CNN, allowing only a photojournalist and audio technician, appeared to fall short of full compliance with that ruling, according to the network's account.

The dispute adds to ongoing tension between the White House press corps and the Trump administration over access to official events, with the state dinner becoming a focal point for the broader conflict.