VP JD Vance named as official behind Politico article used to justify White House press ban

Vice President JD Vance was allegedly the anonymous senior administration official behind a Politico report that the White House later cited to justify stripping the outlet of its press access, according to media newsletter Status. The identification adds a new element to the dispute over President Donald Trump's decision to ban CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. One of the articles cited by the administration, published in June, quoted an unnamed "senior administration official" who assessed the likelihood of reaching a preliminary agreement with Iran at between 80% and 85%. According to Status, the official was Vance, who had spoken to reporters during a background briefing authorized by the White House. The Washington Post separately established that the remarks did not originate from an unauthorized leak, reviewing a White House invitation to the briefing and a recording of the call. The Post did not independently identify the official as Vance. The White House declined to comment on Status's identification. The legal dispute shifted on Thursday, when US District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to immediately restore the three organizations' White House press passes and temporarily blocked enforcement of the ban for 14 days.