First Lady Melania Trump's office has approved CNN’s request to cover her upcoming events in New York during the UN General Assembly week, despite President Donald Trump's ban on CNN and other media outlets from the White House. This decision contrasts sharply with Trump's stance; he banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House last Friday over accusations of fake news. The approval came as CNN’s senior White House reporter Betsy Klein received a credential for an event scheduled at the St. Regis hotel on Tuesday related to Melania's 'Fostering the Future Together' initiative.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-21,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
On September 25, US TV networks resumed coverage of President Donald Trump’s events at the White House after a judge ordered the administration to lift its ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The ban was imposed last week due to what Trump described as unfavorable press coverage. Despite the reinstatement, tensions remain high; the networks ceased filming White House events in solidarity with banned outlets earlier in the week, resulting in no pool footage during Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit on September 24-25. The court battle continues, and CNN was barred from traveling with Trump to Tennessee for a weekend trip, though reasons were not officially provided by the administration.
Written for “White House Press Access Controversy” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 182 other(s) covering the same event.
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First Lady Melania Trump has offered CNN an olive branch amid its ongoing war with her husband.
asserted
Trump → sign → husband
President Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House last Friday over allegations of 'fake news.'
asserted
Trump → ban → news
The gambit resulted in Secret Service agents seizing press passes from journalists and outlets throwing out coverage plans for the president's trip to the UN General Assembly this week.
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outlets → result → Assembly
CNN, which was previously assigned to send a camera crew and reporter to the UN event, was removed from the White House's traveling press cadre on Sunday.
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which → assign → Sunday
But the First Lady's Office approved CNN's request to cover Melania this week in Manhattan, according to the outlet's senior White House reporter Betsy Klein.
uncertain
Office → approve → Klein
'Interestingly, we do have one new data point, which is that my credential to cover an event with the First Lady, on the sidelines of the United Nations tomorrow, has been approved,' Klein said on Monday.
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Klein → have → Monday
CNN was credentialed to cover an announcement the First Lady is expected to give Tuesday at the St. Regis hotel, a source familiar with the matter told the Daily Mail.
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source → credentiale → Mail
The announcement has to do with her 'Fostering the Future Together' initiative, which Melania is expected to touch on repeatedly during her trip to New York for the UN.
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Melania → have → UN
Melania Trump's team approved credentials for CNN to cover an event with the First Lady on Tuesday despite the White House ban on the outlet
CNN senior White House reporter Betsy Klein said that she was approved for an event with the First Lady on the sidelines of the UN.
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she → approve → UN
She was escorted out of the White House on Saturday after Trump's ban on CNN went into effect
'
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ban → escort → effect
I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico,' Trump wrote on Friday, announcing the ban
The First Lady's overture toward CNN stands in stark contrast to her husband's treatment of the network.
'
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overture → announce → network
I am proud to announce that, effective immediately, I am banning Fake News CNN, MSNOW (who recently changed their name from MSNBC due to lack of viewership and credibility!), and Politico,' Trump wrote on Friday, announcing the ban.
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Trump → announce → ban
'Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they’re covering the President of the United States,' he continued.
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he → write → States
The following day, reporters from the banned outlets were turned away from the White House when they arrived for work.
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they → ban → work
Some even had their press passes confiscated by Secret Service agents.
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passes → have → agents
On Monday, Trump doubled down on his ban and tried to explain away how his decision was not 'an assault on the free press.'
Instead, Trump wrote that he is 'instituting an assault on the fake news, some that has grown like cancer in our beloved United States of America.'
In response to the ban, the five major US broadcast networks: Fox News, CNN, CBS, NBC and ABC – together called the TV pool – said in a statement that it would not send a camera crew to cover Trump at the UN after the White House booted CNN from the trip.
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House → double → trip
White House broadcast tents are seen empty on Monday after Trump's ban
The three media outlets Trump targeted, CNN, MS NOW and Politico, announced they would combat the administration in court over the ban.
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they → see → ban
'This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,' they said in a statement released on Monday.
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they → notify → Monday
'Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting,' the statement continued.
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statement → revoke → reporting
'Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference.
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this → leave → interference
US District Judge Timothy Kelly, who Trump appointed in his first term, is presiding over the case and is on familiar legal ground.
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Trump → appoint → ground
In 2018, he ordered the White House to restore CNN journalist Jim Acosta's credentials after his press pass was pulled following a heated clash with Trump.
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pass → order → Trump
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