Wednesday, Sep 30, 2026
1 White House Again Blocks CNN From TV Pool Duty After Listing It in Rotation 🇺🇸 US Politics Sep 24, 6:59 PM EDT 577/114
The White House blocked CNN from its scheduled television pool assignment after listing the network in the weekly rotation, extending restrictions on its coverage despite a court order restoring its press credentials. CNN was due to cover President Donald Trump on behalf of the five major networks, which rotate assignments and share footage with other news organizations.
Judge Timothy Kelly’s Sept. 24 order restored White House access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days, finding they were likely to succeed on their claim that their credentials were revoked without constitutionally adequate due process. Access to the grounds and participation in the presidential pool remain distinct points of dispute. Ted Boutrous, the outlets’ lawyer, has argued that pool access “is covered by the temporary restraining order.”
The three outlets have asked Kelly for a preliminary injunction preserving their access beyond the order’s Oct. 8 expiration. Their filing cited CNN’s exclusion from Air Force One for Trump’s Sept. 26 trip to Tennessee and accused the administration of continuing to retaliate against them to “punish and chill journalism they dislike.” Attorney General Todd Blanche has defended the restrictions, arguing that inaccurate and one-sided coverage can become a national security issue.