CNN and CBS Resume White House Coverage After Standoff

On Monday, the networks had suspended the TV pool, which provides video footage for daily presidential events, after Mr. Trump abruptly barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. Those outlets regained access on Thursday after an order from a federal judge.

But the five networks that share pool duties — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC — continued to stand down. They were seeking a written commitment from White House staff that CNN’s cameras would be allowed back into the pool rotation.

CNN received an email from the White House that included logistical instructions for Friday’s shoot at the National Archives, which the networks took as a de facto confirmation that the network would be allowed to proceed, according to three people briefed on internal discussions.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Without a TV pool in place, the start of Mr. Xi’s pomp-filled visit to the White House had not been carried live on major American networks. Mr. Trump, in a social media post, described the visit as “Actually made for Television” and wrote that the networks had “refused” to cover it. The president did not mention that his administration had barred some outlets from the White House grounds.

A note to TV pool subscribers on Friday stressed that the networks could modify their plans depending on how the day played out.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/business/media/trump-white-house-tv-pool-ban.html