Major U.S. television networks—FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and NBC News—announced on Monday (September 21) that they are suspending their pooled White House coverage of President Donald Trump after the administration barred CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from access, accusing them of publishing "fake news." The move comes as CNN was scheduled to serve as the day’s White House pool representative, a role that rotates among the networks and allows shared footage of presidential events.

The networks’ decision means there will be no broadcast television pool coverage for most of President Trump's events, including his planned trip to New York for the United Nations General Assembly. The suspension follows the White House’s action over the weekend, when Secret Service blocked reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from entering the White House and deactivated their press passes.

In a joint statement, the five networks said, "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting."The networks are considered the only ones with the resources to distribute live coverage of White House events to the broader public.

Meanwhile, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico have filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., seeking an immediate ruling that President Trump’s ban is unconstitutional and a violation of the First Amendment and due process rights. The lawsuit argues that the administration’s move is a "direct assault on the First Amendment" and that "the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes." According to CNN, legal experts say similar bans have been struck down by courts in the past, and the case could result in hearings as soon as this week.

President Trump defended his decision in a post on Truth Social, stating, "The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America." Vice President JD Vance also argued that the action does not ban media outlets but withholds special access from those he claims promote propaganda.

The White House has indicated it will continue to stream its own video feeds of events, but the lack of pooled network coverage already affected a Monday ribbon-cutting at the White House, where the president could not be heard on the livestream without the usual media microphones.

The legal challenge by the barred outlets is expected to move quickly. The outcome may set an important precedent for press access to the White House and could impact future relations between media organizations and the executive branch.

Simon Conway