Major TV Networks Suspend Joint Trump Coverage After CNN Ban

The major television networks in the United States suspended their joint coverage of President Donald Trump’s public activities on Monday in response to the White House’s decision to deny CNN access.

ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News agreed not to replace CNN in the so-called White House «pool,» a system in which five networks take turns recording the president’s activities and then share the footage with other media outlets.

CNN was supposed to cover the president’s activities on Monday, but it was unable to do so after its journalists lost access to the White House.

Major Networks Support CNN

The decision represents an unusual display of unity among the major US networks.

«The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate and independent information about their government,» the networks said in a joint statement.

They also argued that no administration should restrict a news organization for disagreeing with its coverage.

The measure specifically affects the presidential television pool. Other journalists, including representatives from print media, agencies, and radio, continued to cover the president’s activities.

Trump Bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico

The controversy began after Trump announced on Friday that CNN, MS NOW, and Politico would be excluded from the White House.

The president accused the three media outlets of spreading «fake news» and harshly criticized their coverage of his administration.

The next day, journalists from the affected organizations were turned away when they tried to enter the White House complex, and their credentials were deactivated.

Trump defended his decision again on Monday, saying that his government is not attacking a free press, but rather confronting what he calls «FAKE NEWS.»

The president also described the phenomenon as a threat to national security.

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico Sue Trump

The three affected media outlets responded by taking the dispute to federal court.

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the decision violates their rights under the First Amendment, which protects freedom of expression and the press.

They also allege a violation of the due process guarantees contained in the Fifth Amendment.

The media outlets claim that their credentials were revoked because of the content of their coverage and without a prior process that would have allowed them to respond to the decision.

In their joint statement, they said they went to court to defend the principle that the government cannot decide what the press reports or publishes.

An Old Battle Between Trump and CNN

The confrontation recalls an episode that occurred during Trump’s first term.

In 2018, the White House temporarily revoked the credential of then-CNN correspondent Jim Acosta after a tense exchange with the president.

You May Be Interested: UN puts New York under maximum security: Trump and Mamdani meet

CNN then went to court, and a federal judge ordered Acosta’s credential to be temporarily restored.

The new case was assigned to the same federal judge, Timothy Kelly, who intervened in that dispute.

Now, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico are seeking a court order to suspend the ban and allow their journalists to access the White House again.