White House Suspends TV pool coverage for Trump after ban on CNN, Politico, MS NOW

On September 18, 2026, Trump announced on Truth Social that CNN, MS NOW and Politico were banned from the White House TV pool, effective immediately. The ban was tied to “cumulative stories over the last two years” and “purposely negative” reporting. Reporters from the three outlets were turned away on Saturday, credentials were deactivated, and a CNN correspondent later held an empty credential holder while reporting from outside the grounds.

On Monday, September 21, the three outlets filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, claiming the ban violates the First Amendment and due-process protections. Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, the rotating TV pool chair, emailed members that the pool would not cover events designated as pool coverage of the president, and that there would be no replacement pool. Print, radio, wire and still photography would continue, but Congress and other Washington pools were not included in the freeze.

The White House’s decision has left a gap in the historic five‑network TV pool that feeds local stations, newspaper sites and foreign broadcasters. The ban has already affected coverage of presidential events, including a Monday ribbon‑cutting for a new White House helipad, where Trump could not be heard clearly on the official livestream because the pool’s boom microphones were not there. The government’s own stream, branded Trump TV, is now filling the gap, but it cannot substitute for a press‑run camera that other newsrooms trust enough to air without asking the White House for permission.

Read the full story at BBN Times.