Topline
Major TV networks plan to resume coverage of President Donald Trump on Friday after a days-long blackout prompted by Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which was blocked by a federal judge on Thursday.
PBS NewsHour White House Correspondent Laura Barron-Lopez and MS NOW White House Correspondent Jake Traylor do a live report from the designated outdoor press area on the North Lawn after being allowed back on to the grounds of the White House on September 24, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
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Key Facts
CBS, the pool network assigned to lead coverage of Trump on Friday, will resume its normally scheduled duties, including coverage of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the National Archives, CNN reported.
A CNN reporter is also expected to travel in the pool with the president to the National Archives.
Pool coverage resumes after the five networks who rotate lead coverage of the president each day and distribute their feeds to other networks refused to cover Trump starting Monday after he banned the three outlets from the White House.
A federal judge granted a request for a temporary restraining order immediately lifting the ban early Thursday, but the White House continued to block access for MS NOW and CNN reporters who attempted to cover Thursday night’s state dinner with Xi, MS NOW and CNN reported.
Ted Boutrous, a lawyer for the three outlets, suggested in an interview with CNN that it was unclear if the order—which allowed the news organizations to regain White House access—also means they are allowed back into the pool.
Forbes has asked the White House about the status of CNN’s pool access and why CNN and MS NOW reporters were allegedly denied entry into Thursday’s state dinner.
Tangent
Trump was inaudible, drowned out by static, during a White House event on Monday shortly after the pool announced it would not replace CNN as the assigned network, leaving Trump without a microphone typically provided by the pool.
Key Background
Trump said last Friday he would ban the outlets, accusing them of reporting “constant . . . fake news.” Reporters from the news organizations were barred from entering the White House grounds when they showed up for work Saturday, and their press passes were confiscated. The outlets subsequently sued the Trump administration, alleging a violation of their First Amendment rights and a failure to follow due process in revoking the passes. In response to the filing, the Justice Department doubled down on the ban, insisting that White House access is a “privilege” and that the ban was a matter of national security, citing sensitive subject matter the three outlets have reported. U.S. District Court Judge Timothy Kelly rejected those arguments in overturning the ban on Thursday and agreed that the news organizations did not receive proper notice. After a brief delay Thursday morning, the Trump administration restored the outlets’ access to White House grounds. The lawsuit is ongoing, and his temporary restraining order remains in effect for two weeks.
further reading
White House Lets CNN, MS NOW And Politico Back On Grounds After Judge Lifts Ban (Forbes)
White House Lets CNN, MS NOW And Politico Back On Grounds After Judge Lifts Ban (Forbes)
Trump Drowned Out By Static Without TV Pool After Banning Major Outlets (Video) (Forbes)
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