Major US Outlets Halt Pooled Trump Coverage Amid White House Media Ban
Several networks suspended shared reporting in protest after CNN, Politico, and MS NOW were barred from the White House.
Major U.S. television networks have suspended their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump in response to the White House barring CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the premises. The ban, announced by Trump on Friday and effective Saturday, came after the president accused the organizations of publishing "fiction or lies" about his administration.
In response to the revoked credentials, the three U.S. media outlets announced they would file a lawsuit against the Trump administration. Their joint statement asserted the action "threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism free from government interference." The organizations stated, "Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists' credentials because it objected to our reporting."
The White House has since launched its own streaming channel, Trump TV, which provides a 24/7 feed of the president's clips. However, the boycott by other outlets meant that network television footage of Trump boarding Air Force One or arriving in New York for the UN General Assembly was not available.
During a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new Marine One helipad on the White House South Lawn, Trump's comments were inaudible despite the event being streamed on the White House site. He later appeared following a meeting with the Mayor of New York, Zohran Mamdani, who stated that all members of the media would be welcomed at the press conference.
Trump commented on the boycott, saying, "It's interesting because, they said they were going to boycott me, but they never boycott me, so I wasn't very worried about that. Look at all that press."
The pool system involves various media organizations sharing coverage materials to reduce costs and logistical demands when broadcasting presidential events to the American public. Bryan Boughton, Fox News Washington bureau chief and currently organizing media TV crews covering the White House, stated in an email that the TV pool would no longer cover designated Trump events. This decision followed the White House's action of "preventing" CNN from fulfilling its pool duties for Trump's trip to New York, and "there will be no replacement pool put in place." The lawsuit filed by the three media organizations in U.S. District Court in Washington seeks to "defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports."