Trump Bans Three News Outlets, US Networks Hit Back

U.S. President Donald Trump has banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, causing major US television networks to suspend their shared coverage of presidential events.

The three news organisations were locked out of the White House after Trump accused them of repeatedly publishing what he described as “fake news”. The administration has defended its decision, while the outlets argue that they were specifically targeted because of their reporting.

The other major US networks responded by suspending their participation in the White House television press pool. ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC muted their coverage of Trump’s events on September 21 after CNN was removed from the pool.
The decision also meant there was no coverage of several presidential events, including the opening of the White House helipad and Trump’s trip to the United Nations.

The White House has responded by launching its own livestream, named “Trump TV”, to provide coverage of the president and his activities.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have also taken the dispute to court, with a hearing set for September 23. The outlets are fighting against the administration’s decision, arguing that their exclusion violates constitutional rights for the press.

The dispute has also affected coverage beyond the White House. CNN, MS NOW and Politico were able to cover Trump at the United Nations using credentials issued by the UN rather than White House credentials.