The White House removed CNN from its scheduled television pool assignment covering President Donald Trump’s trip to Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday, extending a dispute with the cable news network over its access to the president.
CNN had been designated to provide television pool coverage for Thursday’s trip under a rotation released Sunday. But subsequent White House guidance omitted CNN from the assignment.
Trump was scheduled to visit a truck manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, followed by remarks in Durant, Oklahoma.
The move comes less than a week after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily blocked the White House from barring CNN, MS NOW and Politico from access to the White House grounds.
The three news organizations sued after the administration restricted their access, arguing the action violated their First Amendment and due process rights. Kelly ordered the White House to restore their access while the dispute continues.
The judge’s order was limited to access on White House property and did not specifically address participation in the television pool during presidential travel or access to Air Force One.
CNN was also prevented from fulfilling a scheduled pool assignment last weekend when Trump traveled to Tennessee for a college football game.
“The White House is persisting in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing the President’s unconstitutional ‘ban on the free press’ by barring CNN from fulfilling its role as a designated television network pooler,” Theodore Boutrous, an attorney representing CNN, MS NOW and Politico, said in a statement.
CNN, MS NOW and Politico have asked Kelly to extend the court protections while their lawsuit proceeds. The administration is expected to respond to that request Friday.
CNN, Fox News, ABC News, CBS News and NBC News rotate television pool responsibilities, providing coverage of presidential activities that is shared with the broader White House press corps.
