Trump's Ban of CNN Backfired Into a Rare Show of Press Solidarity: The Five Networks in the White House TV Pool — Fox News Among Them — Refused to Replace CNN and Suspended Televised Pool Coverage of the President Rather Than Help Him Sideline It, Leaving Him Without Independent TV Coverage on the Eve of His U.N. Trip While CNN, MS NOW, and Politico Sue Over the First Amendment
On Monday, September 21, 2026, the White House television press pool suspended its coverage of Donald Trump — a rare, coordinated act of protest against his ban of CNN, MS NOW, and Politico three days earlier. The pool is the five-network consortium (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox News, and CNN) that takes turns covering the president's events on behalf of all outlets. CNN was scheduled to run Monday's pool coverage and accompany Trump to New York for the United Nations General Assembly; when the White House barred CNN from performing that duty, the other networks refused to replace it. Fox News' Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton — the acting chair of the TV pool consortium — announced that "the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President," and that "there will be no replacement pool." That Fox, Trump's friendliest network, stood with CNN rather than help the White House route around the ban is the most striking part. All five networks issued a joint statement: "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." CNN, MS NOW, and Politico announced they are filing a First Amendment lawsuit. Trump set out to punish outlets whose coverage he dislikes; he ended up with no independent TV pool coverage of himself on the way to address the world, a unified press corps rebuking him, and a lawsuit — an own-goal on top of an abuse.