# White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trump

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 2 sources.

Status: historical, as of 2026-09-22.

After CNN's Jim Acosta questioned President Trump at a news conference and briefly kept hold of a microphone as an intern reached for it, the White House suspended his hard pass, the standing credential letting reporters enter the grounds; a federal judge ordered it restored a week later.[1][2][3]

- Country: [United States](https://thewaronnews.com/countries/us) (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)
- Where: United States
- Level of government: National
- Tactics: Credential control, Access bans
- Stage: Restrict (ladder: https://thewaronnews.com/ladders/credential_control#stage-restrict)
- Head of government at the time: [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/leaders/donald-trump)
- Issue of the day: President Trump's characterization of a migrant caravan approaching the United States border in the days before the November 2018 midterm election.
- Outcome: Reversed, November 19, 2018. A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order on November 16, 2018, and the White House permanently restored Acosta's credential three days later rather than continue the lawsuit.
- Era: The 2010s

## What happened

At a November 7, 2018 White House news conference, President Trump and CNN correspondent Jim Acosta argued over Acosta's questions about immigration; when a White House intern reached to take his microphone, Acosta held onto it and briefly touched her arm. That evening, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders announced the suspension of Acosta's hard pass, the standing credential letting reporters enter the White House grounds, saying the White House would "never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job." CNN called the suspension "a threat to our democracy" and sued the White House on November 13, arguing the revocation violated the First Amendment, the constitutional guarantee of press freedom, and the Fifth Amendment's guarantee of due process. On November 16, federal judge Timothy Kelly ordered the pass restored while the case proceeded; Acosta told reporters, "Let's go back to work." The White House restored the pass permanently on November 19 rather than continue the litigation.[1][2][3]

## What reason was given

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said, "We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern." Government lawyers separately argued Acosta had no First Amendment right of access to the White House.[1]

## What changed for reporting

CNN said the revocation was "a threat to our democracy," and other outlets, including some critical of Acosta's conduct, joined an emergency court filing warning that a president could use credential revocation to penalize unfavorable questioning.[2]

## Timeline

- 2018-11-07: White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trump

## Who acted

| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [Donald Trump](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/donald-trump) | ordered | President of the United States |
| [Jim Acosta](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/jim-acosta) | other | Correspondent, CNN |
| [Sarah Sanders](https://thewaronnews.com/actors/sarah-sanders) | enforced | White House Press Secretary |

## Outlets and journalists

| Name | Kind | Relation |
| --- | --- | --- |
| [CNN](https://thewaronnews.com/outlets/cnn) | outlet | affected |

## Sources

1. White House suspends credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-suspends-credentials-cnn-correspondent-jim-acosta/story?id=59045396 (ABC News, 2018-11-08).
2. Judge orders White House to temporarily return CNN's Acosta pass. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2018/11/16/judge-orders-white-house-to-temporarily-return-cnns-acosta-pass (Al Jazeera, 2018-11-16).

## Claims cited

[1] Sarah Sanders said the White House would not tolerate a reporter placing his hands on an intern. Quote: "We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern." Source: ABC News, 2018-11-08. White House suspends credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-suspends-credentials-cnn-correspondent-jim-acosta/story?id=59045396 Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/235, checked 2026-09-22.

[2] CNN said the credential revocation was an unprecedented decision harming democratic norms. Quote: "This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support." Source: ABC News, 2018-11-08. White House suspends credentials for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta. https://abcnews.com/Politics/white-house-suspends-credentials-cnn-correspondent-jim-acosta/story?id=59045396 Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/236, checked 2026-09-22.

[3] Acosta told reporters he was returning to work after the court ordered his pass restored. Quote: "Let's go back to work," Source: Al Jazeera, 2018-11-16. Judge orders White House to temporarily return CNN's Acosta pass. https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2018/11/16/judge-orders-white-house-to-temporarily-return-cnns-acosta-pass Claim: https://thewaronnews.com/claims/237, checked 2026-09-22.

Source page: https://thewaronnews.com/incidents/2018-us-cnn-acosta-credential-revoked. The War On News, CC BY 4.0.