White House blocks CNN from pool duty despite judge’s order

This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. End of dialog window. The White House plans to keep CNN journalists from carrying out the network’s previously scheduled duty providing television pool coverage of President Trump on Thursday, a source familiar with the situation confirmed to The Hill. The administration will prevent CNN from providing its scheduled pool coverage, the source said Wednesday, despite a ruling from a federal judge last week lifting a ban implemented against the outlet. No pool camera will travel with the president during his scheduled trip to Texas and Oklahoma. The White House did not immediately respond to The Hill’s request for comment. CNN was not listed as the TV pool outlet covering the president as part of guidance the West Wing distributed to media outlets Wednesday evening. This week’s episode is the latest in a string of several days of tension between the Trump administration and Warner Brothers Discovery-owned cable channel. Two weeks ago, Trump banned reporters from CNN, MS Now and Politico from working from the White House over what he called the outlets’ publishing of “fake news,” which he argued endangered national security. The move sparked widespread pushback across politics and media, condemnation from the White House Correspondents‘ Association and a temporary boycott among the major television networks that rotate duties covering the president’s daily activities. The TV “pool” as it is known — consisting of CNN, Fox News, ABC, NBC and CBS — issued a statement following the initial ban blasting the president’s move to keep CNN from the White House. The group then held back coverage of the president for days in solidarity with the cable channel. The three barred news organizations sued last week, arguing the administration violated their due process rights and restricted its access over accurate reporting that paints the government in an unflattering light. U. S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, a Trump appointee, ruled in favor of the outlets two days later and ordered the White House to restore the three outlets access, which it did late last week. But tension flared again over the weekend when Trump traveled to Tennessee to attend a college football game, a day CNN was slated to serve as the designated TV pool outlet but was barred from joining journalists on Air Force One. On Tuesday, an attorney for CNN issued a fresh filing with the court asking Kelly to rule on the pool issue, saying, “The White House’s words and actions leave little doubt that it will immediately reinstitute a complete ban of CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO if allowed the opportunity.” CNN argued in the filing the White House is issuing access to the president and coverage of his daily activities “unpredictably and inconsistently,” causing the outlet irreparable harm in the process. The three outlet’s original lawsuit contended Trump’s ban was based in viewpoint discrimination, prohibited under the First Amendment. The Trump administration is required to submit a response to this week’s filing by Friday. Copyright 2026 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.