Major US TV Networks Boycott White House Coverage After CNN Access Ban
Five major US television networks halted their rotating White House press pool coverage on Monday in solidarity with CNN, which along with other outlets was barred from the premises by Trump. As a result, no coverage was provided of the president's visit to the UN General Assembly.
On Monday, five major US television networks – ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC – announced they would suspend participation in the rotating press pool system that provides coverage of President Donald Trump. The solidarity action followed the president's decision on Friday to bar CNN, "MS NOW" and "Politico" from accessing the White House, accusing the outlets of spreading fabrications and lies.
On Saturday, journalists from the three outlets were denied entry to the White House and had their press passes confiscated. The three organizations filed a lawsuit, arguing that the ban represents a direct attack on the First Amendment and a violation of some of the country's most fundamental constitutional principles.
CNN had been scheduled to fulfill "pool" duties on Monday – a rotating arrangement in which one network films on behalf of all television channels for the day. In a joint statement, the five networks stressed that it is vital for the public to receive accurate and independent information about its government, and that no administration should restrict a news organization simply because it dislikes its coverage.
As a result of the boycott, no coverage was provided on Monday of Trump's visit to the UN General Assembly in New York, where he was scheduled to meet with several world leaders.
Trump's response
The president expressed no regret over the boycott, calling the outlets a "cancer" and a threat to national security in a post on his social media platform Truth Social. He claimed the White House was not attacking the free press but rather "fakes" that had spread like a cancer across the country. Speaking in the Oval Office on Friday, Trump said the ban stemmed from coverage accumulated over the past two years and accused the outlets of trying to smear Republicans and his administration. He also warned that other media outlets could face a similar fate, without specifying which ones.
