Major U.S. television networks suspend “pool” coverage of President Donald Trump after the White House bars CNN from assigned press duties, prompting other broadcasters to step back in solidarity. Several outlets report that the move leaves no regular TV pool coverage for Trump events scheduled during his trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly.
The White House announcement that triggered the dispute came after President Trump said last week that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would be banned from White House grounds. In response, the five-network pool that normally rotates coverage—Fox News, ABC News, CBS News, NBC News and CNN—issues a joint statement saying the public has an interest in independent information and that administrations should not restrict news organizations for their reporting. Some outlets also report a White House decision that effectively prevented CNN from fulfilling its pool assignment, with no replacement pool named.
Coverage differs slightly across outlets on emphasis: some frame the action as a protest of the CNN ban, while others describe it as networks refusing to cover Trump in the absence of the regular pool rotation. Multiple outlets note that CNN, MS NOW and Politico pursue legal action over the credential revocations.
