Major television networks have stopped providing White House pool coverage after President Donald Trump barred journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico from entering White House grounds.
The television pool announced it would not replace CNN when the network was prevented from carrying out its scheduled pool duties.
“Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President,” an email sent to pool subscribers says. “This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.”
The White House television pool includes CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News. The networks rotate responsibility for covering the president in places where the entire press corps cannot fit, including the Oval Office and Air Force One. The designated network then provides its video feed to other news organizations.
Trump announced September 18 that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would no longer be allowed access to the White House, accusing the three organizations of publishing what he called “fake news.” Reporters from the outlets were subsequently denied entry, and their White House press credentials were confiscated or deactivated.
The president has said his objections are based on the outlets’ coverage of his administration. The White House has defended its authority to determine who receives access to the complex, while the news organizations argue that excluding journalists because of unfavorable reporting violates constitutional protections for the press.
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration on Sept. 21, alleging that the decision violated their First and Fifth Amendment rights.
In a joint statement announcing the lawsuit, the outlets said the government should not be able to determine which news organizations receive access based on what they report.
The lawsuit asks a federal court to restore their access while the case proceeds. A hearing over the outlets’ request for a temporary restraining order is scheduled before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly in Washington.
Despite being barred from the White House, journalists from all three organizations continued covering Trump during his September 22 appearance at the United Nations using credentials issued by the U.N. rather than the White House.
Trump also said Tuesday that he would “probably” allow the organizations to return to the White House if a court rules against his administration.
The dispute is the latest legal fight surrounding press access during Trump’s second administration. Courts have previously considered disputes over how the White House can determine access to presidential events, including a separate case involving restrictions placed on The Associated Press.
For now, the television pool’s decision means the dispute affects more than the three organizations directly barred from the White House. With the remaining networks declining to replace CNN during its scheduled rotation, some events that would normally receive shared television coverage may go without the traditional pool feed.
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