# Hard pass

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 3 sources.

A White House-issued credential granting a journalist routine, standing access to the White House grounds and press facilities without applying for entry each time, as distinct from a single-use day pass. Hard passes are issued to reporters who regularly cover the White House and can be suspended or revoked by White House staff.

## Sources

1. Statement on White House Position on CNN, MSNOW and Politico. https://whca.press/2026/09/18/statement-on-white-house-position-on-cnn-msnow-and-politico/ (White House Correspondents' Association, 2026-09-18).
2. 2025 Pentagon press pass forfeiture. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Pentagon_press_pass_forfeiture Archived copy: https://web.archive.org/web/20260920094332/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2025_Pentagon_press_pass_forfeiture (Wikipedia).
3. White House revokes press pass of CNN's Jim Acosta. https://www.npr.org/2018/11/07/665497382/white-house-revokes-press-pass-of-cnns-jim-acosta (NPR, 2018-11-07).

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/glossary/hard-pass. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.