CNN Again Shut Out of White House TV Pool Amid Credential Fight
CNN has once again been shut out of the White House’s TV pool amid its ongoing legal battle with President Donald Trump over access and press credentials.
On Sunday, the White House listed CNN as the primary for TV pool duty on Oct. 1. This move was notable given Trump’s White House previously blocked CNN from flying aboard Air Force One on Saturday, preventing the network from carrying out its duties to cover the president on behalf of the other major networks.
However, with Trump traveling to Texas and Oklahoma Thursday, the White House released the press schedule – in which they removed CNN as the travel pool network. A representative for the White House did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
A representative for CNN confirmed to TheWrap that the network had been taken off the schedule. Additionally, the spokesperson directed TheWrap to a Monday statement from CNN’s legal representation, Ted Boutrous.
“As we have said from the beginning, the President’s ban of CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO from the White House is a blatant violation of the First Amendment and due process,” he noted. “The President and his administration have continued to make clear that this ban has only one purpose: to punish reporting he doesn’t like. That’s retaliation and viewpoint discrimination, pure and simple. With the district court’s temporary restraining order expiring this week, it is critical to ensure that the White House continues to be prevented from implementing this unconstitutional ban on the free press.”
This statement came alongside CNN, MS NOW and Politico’s filing to extend a judge’s White House access order. In the new court documents, the outlets warned that Trump would “reinstitute a complete ban” without it.
“The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity,” the document noted. “Because the ban is an unlawful assault on the most fundamental First Amendment freedoms and will inflict irreparable harm on Plaintiffs and the public if not restrained, this Court should preliminarily enjoin its enforcement pending the resolution of this case.”
In response to the filing, a White House spokesperson told TheWrap, “President Trump is the most accessible President in history — holding open press events, regular gaggles and interviews, taking questions nearly every day, and speaking directly to the American people through social media. But if a reporter walks into an interview with their headline and narrative already decided, why do they need to be in the room? They can write their garbage from anywhere. Even after outlets were given access to the White House, they declined to cover various events proving this isn’t about access. It’s performative and dishonest.”
The drama all started on Sept. 18, when Trump took to Truth Social and shared that he was banning the three outlets from the White House for “constantly” writing negatively about his administration.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote at the time. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
Then, on Sept. 21, CNN, Politico and MS NOW sued Trump and his administration after their reporters were stripped of their White House access and credentials. However, the president stood firm in his decision in the wake of the suit, once again bemoaning in a follow-up Truth Social post that the outlets only write “negatively” about him.
Yet, last Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to reinstate credentials for reporters at CNN, MS NOW and Politico. However, it wasn’t until noon that day that reporters were able to regain access.
As we mentioned, the White House then barred CNN from flying aboard Air Force One on Saturday, marking a new step in their attempt to ban the network.