Trump Bans CNN; Fox, CBS, ABC Drop White House Coverage

The White House barred CNN, MS‑NOW, and Politico from its premises Friday after Trump slammed the outlets for "fake news" and claimed they were unfairly portraying his administration—an action that echoed his earlier decision to exclude other media from the Oval Office.

The television‑pool system, which has ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC rotating live feeds of presidential events, now collapses. The consortium’s acting chair, Fox News bureau chief Bryan Boughton, announced an immediate halt to any coverage requiring shared access, effectively cutting the five networks off from the President’s press briefings.

Boughton also said the group would not set up an alternative pool for Trump’s upcoming trip to the United Nations General Assembly in New York, a move that leaves the five broadcasters scrambling for independent coverage methods.

In response, CNN, MS‑NOW and Politico filed a federal lawsuit on Monday, seeking a temporary restraining order that would prevent the Trump administration from barring their reporters. The plaintiffs argue the restrictions constitute unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination and violate First Amendment protections.

Trump defended the ban on his social‑media account, insisting he "cherishes the free press" but does not owe access to outlets that publish negative stories. "I don't have to let them into the people's house," he wrote, echoing comments from earlier in the year.

The lawsuit now sits in federal court; a hearing is expected within the next two weeks. Meanwhile, the networks are exploring ad‑hoc arrangements to keep their audiences informed as the White House’s media policy remains in flux.