In an unprecedented move, four of the five TV networks that provide White House pool coverage of President Donald Trump โ ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News โ have joined in solidarity with CNN, announcing they are suspending coverage of the president because of his ban of CNN.
โThe public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government,โ the five networks said in a joint statement Monday. โNo administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.โ
The blackout of White House pool coverage by the networks comes after the Trump administration suspended CNN as the designated TV pool provider on Monday, Sept. 21 โ leaving no TV pool provider for the day.
Earlier Monday, CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued Trump and three White House officials over the ban, alleging it violates the First Amendment.
The suspension of the TV news pool means that no major television network will provide coverage of Trumpโs events, including his scheduled appearances Monday at the White House and his visit to the United Nations in New York City.
Bryan Boughton, who runs Fox Newsโ Washington bureau and is the current TV pool chair, wrote in an email to the other networks, โThis is to advise that, effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President. This follows the White Houseโs position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place.โ
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