TV networks resume White House coverage

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 26 September 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring

U.S. networks resumed pooled White House coverage after a judge ordered restoration of credentials for CNN, MS NOW and Politico, ending a brief suspension by other outlets. The pool showed Xi Jinping's arrival and the presidents touring the National Archives.

Summary

WASHINGTON — Major U.S. television networks resumed pooled coverage of President Donald Trump’s White House events on Friday, restoring a critical source of live presidential video after a federal judge ordered the administration to reinstate access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico.

The White House television pool carried live images of Chinese President Xi Jinping arriving for tea on the final day of his visit and of Trump and Xi touring the National Archives, where the U.S. Constitution is housed. CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC finance the pool and rotate responsibility for providing footage to other news organizations.

Pool returns after court intervention

The networks had suspended pool operations in solidarity after the White House barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the complex. Their refusal to provide a replacement camera left the first two days of Xi’s visit without the customary shared television coverage.

U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Kelly granted a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday and directed the administration to restore the three organizations’ credentials. Kelly said the plaintiffs had shown a likelihood of success, at least on their claim that the abrupt revocation of access violated their Fifth Amendment right to procedural due process.

First Amendment dispute remains unresolved

The temporary order did not decide the outlets’ broader First Amendment challenge. CNN, MS NOW and Politico have until September 28 to seek a preliminary injunction that would preserve their access while the lawsuit proceeds.

Questions also remain about the practical scope of the restored access. CNN said Friday evening that it had been barred from traveling with Trump aboard Air Force One for a weekend trip to Tennessee. Reuters said the White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on that restriction.

The dispute began after Trump accused the three organizations of false or negative coverage and excluded them from White House grounds. The resumption of pooled video restores one part of the press-access system, but the continuing litigation will determine whether the administration may again restrict the outlets and what process it must follow before doing so.

ATTRIBUTION: This report is based on Reuters reporting published and updated on September 25, with additional court-order details reported by Axios on September 24, 2026.

PHOTO: David Everett Strickler on Unsplash