White House removes CNN from TV pool duties amid escalating press restrictions
The Trump administration has excluded CNN from the White House television pool schedule, marking a break from longstanding practice and prompting a potential First Amendment lawsuit.
The White House announced on Sunday that CNN will not serve as the primary television pool for the press corps on Monday, a role it had been scheduled to fill under the regular rotation. The decision also omitted a primary TV pool for the president's upcoming United Nations General Assembly trip, listing only secondary crews from Hearst-owned stations in Washington and the pro-Trump outlet Real America's Voice for the New York leg.
The change follows President Donald Trump's remarks on Friday that he was restricting access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, after which reporters from those outlets were turned away from the White House on Saturday. The three organizations said they are preparing a First Amendment lawsuit to challenge the restrictions.
Under the long-standing pool system, the five major broadcast networks share the responsibility of filming the president and providing live footage to other media outlets. The exclusion of CNN, a key participant, could affect coverage of the president's New York trip, as the pool arrangement allows a single crew to serve multiple news organizations when space or access is limited.
"CNN’s mission to report on the U.S. government will continue regardless of any attempts to restrict physical access to the White House and other government buildings," the network said in a statement, adding that it views the ban as an illegal assault on constitutional rights.
The move raises questions about how the remaining major networks will respond and highlights the financial burden of presidential coverage, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars for multi-day trips.