Major US television networks have announced that they will no longer broadcast live events featuring US President Donald Trump in protest against the White House's decision to deny access to three news outlets. The move was made in response to the White House's ban on CNN, Politico, and MS Now, which Mr. Trump accused of repeatedly reporting "fiction and lies" about his administration. The ban was implemented last Saturday, with the White House citing no evidence to support the claim.
The broadcast networks, including ABC, CBS, Fox News, and NBC, alongside CNN, make up the five White House television pools that take turns covering the president's events and sharing live video footage with other news networks. In a joint statement, the five members of the rotating TV pool wrote that the public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. They emphasized that no administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.
The TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President, effective immediately. According to a memo from the Fox News Washington bureau chief and chair of the TV pool, Bryan Boughton, there will be no replacement pool put in place. All other pool coverage will continue as normal, including Congress, VIPs, and selected events in Washington and around the country.
The three news organizations banned from reporting on the White House, CNN, Politico, and MS Now, have filed a suit in the federal district court in Washington. They accused the Trump administration of violating their First Amendment free press rights and Fifth Amendment due process. The news platforms also asked a federal judge to hear the case on an expedited basis.
This is not the first instance of the US government banning news organizations or journalists over their reporting. In January 2025, Mr. Trump barred Associated Press journalists from parts of the White House, including the Oval Office and Air Force One. The AP has sued to restore its access, and the case remains in litigation.
Similar instances of restrictions on press freedom have occurred under the Trump administration. In April 2025, Reuters and Bloomberg News lost their permanent slots in the small pool of reporters covering President Trump. Additionally, in July, the White House removed the Wall Street Journal reporter from the press pool for President Trump's trip to Scotland, over the Journal's reporting on Jeffrey Epstein.
The move by the major US networks to suspend live coverage of Trump events highlights the ongoing tensions between the White House and the media. The public's right to access accurate information about the government has been emphasized by the networks, who are taking a stand against the White House's restrictions on press freedom.
Key points
- US networks halt live coverage of Trump events in protest of CNN ban
- White House bans CNN, Politico, and MS Now from covering presidential events
- The Trump administration faces a lawsuit from the banned news organizations over First Amendment rights violations
