TV networks suspend White House pool coverage in solidarity with news outlets banned by Trump
Major U.S. television networks suspended pool coverage of President Donald Trump on Monday after CNN was removed as the pool network covering the president and three news outlets—CNN, MS NOW and Politico—were “banned” from White House last week.
ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News typically “pool” together, and rotate the responsibility of capturing television footage and live coverage of the president.
In solidarity with CNN, the rest of the networks are refusing to jump in, or rotate, to keep that video coverage going, the New York Times reports.
“No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its coverage,” the networks said in a joint statement.
Trump announced the ban Friday on Truth Social, and reporters from the news organizations were turned away over the weekend from White House grounds.
On Monday, CNN, MS NOW and Politico filed a joint lawsuit against the administration to restore their access, arguing the ban violates the First Amendment and due process afforded under the U.S. Constitution.
“This ban could not be a more direct assault on the First Amendment nor a more blatant violation of our most fundamental constitutional principles,” the outlets wrote in the joint lawsuit.
“The President was expressly clear about his viewpoint-discriminatory motive for targeting CNN, MS NOW and Politico,” the lawsuit continues. “He called it the result of their constant ‘reporting FAKE NEWS!’—a term he routinely applies not to reporting that is false, but to any reporting he dislikes.”
The emergency request is expected to go before a federal judge in the D.C. District Court and could result in hearings as early as this week, according to CNN.
Fast Company reached out to the White House for comment.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Vice President JD Vance defended the denied access. “[Trump] is not ‘banning’ media outlets,” Vance said, according to the Times. “What he is doing is saying we are not going to give you special access to the White House if you engage in what is effectively propaganda.”
All this comes at a key time for press coverage, as Trump heads to New York, where he is expected to address the United Nations General Assembly on Tuesday, and where world leaders are gathering for discussions and meetings on key issues including Iran, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Ukraine.
