Donald Trump revoked Jim Acosta's press pass the day after the 2018 midterm election.
Posted by The Briefing with Jen Psaki, Checked
- Sources
- 6 support3 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 92%
The Briefing with Jen PsakiSep 24, 2026
The White House revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press pass on November 7, 2018, which was the day after the 2018 midterm elections, as multiple sources report. The post's framing of a ban tied to the post-midterm press conference matches this record, and the revocation was later reversed by a court order and the White House's restoration of the pass.
What was said
… This case obviously isn't about national security. It's not about classified information. It's not even about any individual news organization. It's about Donald Trump slipping hold on power." When Donald Trump decided to ban Jim Acosta from the press corps, when he snapped back at him in 2018, that was the day after the 2018 midterm election. That was the purpose of that press conference. Democrats had just won their biggest midterm victory in over a decade, and Trump was grappling with loss. …
The Briefing with Jen Psaki · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. Reuters reports the White House withdrew Acosta's credentials on Nov. 7, 2018, after a contentious news conference with President Trump.[1]
Supports. Law360 and Liberty Champion both state the press conference and the revocation took place on Nov. 7, the day after the 2018 midterm elections.[3][5]
Supports. Vox describes the revocation as following a testy exchange at a press conference the day after the midterm elections.[4]
Supports. Ballard Spahr and BuzzFeed News confirm the hard pass was revoked on November 7, 2018, after Trump cut off Acosta's questions at a press conference.[6][7]
Context. A federal judge ordered the pass restored on Nov. 16, and the White House fully restored it on Nov. 19, 2018, after CNN dropped its lawsuit.[2][8][9]
Sources
9 sources: 2 fact-checkers, 1 primary, 1 tier 2, 5 not rated
- 1U.S. judge orders White House to restore press pass ...reuters.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2The Latest: White House to fully restore CNN reporter's passapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3Opinion: Jim Acosta was disrespectful toward President Donald Trump, but he should keep his White House press pass | Liberty Championliberty.edu · primary source · cited for: supports
- 4Jim Acosta vs. the Trump White House, explainedvox.com · tier 2 · cited for: supports
- 5CNN's Case Against Trump: Everything You Need To Know - Law360law360.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 6Court: White House Violated Constitution in Yanking CNN Press ...ballardspahr.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Trump Can Kick Reporters Out Of The White House ...buzzfeednews.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8White House backs down, fully restores CNN reporter Jim Acosta's ...cnbc.com · not rated · cited for: context
- 9Jim Acosta's credential restored, as White House creates ...news-leader.com · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Related claims
- Donald Trump previously banned a member of the news media from the White House following a midterm election.True
- A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order restoring Jim Acosta's press pass after he was banned by Donald Trump in 2018.True
- Jim Acosta challenged being banned from the White House during Donald Trump's first term.True
- Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House.True
- The Trump White House removed CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House press pool.Can’t tell