It is highly unusual for a US president to travel or make public appearances without coverage from a representative of the White House television pool, which has provided broadcast access to presidential events since 1950.
On Monday, the White House’s decision to bar CNN from participating in the television pool meant that no broadcaster provided live pool coverage of President Donald Trump’s midday ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new White House helipad.
Although the White House livestreamed the event, Trump’s remarks were difficult to hear because the broadcast lacked the professional microphones and audio equipment normally used by television crews. A helicopter engine running in the background further obscured his comments.
TV Pool Suspends Presidential Coverage
Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, who is serving as the rotating chair of the television pool, informed members Monday that the pool would no longer cover events designated for pool coverage of the president.
“This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties,” Boughton said in an email to pool members.
The decision followed Trump’s announcement over the weekend that CNN, Politico and MS NOW would be barred from the White House. Trump said the organizations repeatedly published what he described as “fiction and lies” and complained about what he called “purposely negative stories.”
Journalists from the three organizations had their White House access revoked on Saturday.
Other News Organizations Withhold Images
Several major news organizations also announced that they would temporarily withhold photographs taken by the White House photography pool in solidarity with the banned outlets.
The Washington Post, The New York Times and The Associated Press said they would not publish or distribute pool photographs of Trump, including images of his departure aboard Marine One and his appearances at the United Nations in New York, until midnight Eastern Time.
The Washington Post described the move as part of a “collective effort.”
The five major television networks, including CNN, issued a joint statement saying the public has an important interest in receiving independent information about the government and that news organizations should not be restricted because of their reporting.
Despite the television networks’ decision to suspend broadcast pool coverage, print, radio and wire-service journalists continued reporting on Trump’s movements and public appearances.
Lawsuit Filed Against Trump Administration
CNN, Politico and MS NOW filed a federal lawsuit Monday seeking to temporarily block the administration’s restrictions and restore their reporters’ access to the White House.
The dispute has drawn criticism from news organizations and First Amendment advocacy groups, which have characterized the restrictions as a threat to press freedom.
Trump, meanwhile, defended the restrictions in a Truth Social post, arguing that his actions were not an assault on the free press and citing what he described as national-security concerns.
The dispute comes as the Trump administration faces continuing tensions with several major US news organizations over access to presidential events and coverage of the White House.
