Fox News has joined its biggest television rivals in a rare protest against the Trump administration’s handling of press access. On Monday, the five networks that share White House TV pool duties announced they would stop providing pooled coverage of presidential events, according to Variety. The group includes ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC, and the decision came after the White House blocked CNN from taking its scheduled turn in the rotation.
Fox News Washington bureau chief Bryan Boughton, who currently serves as the rotating chair of the television pool, sent the notice confirming there would be no replacement for CNN. In a joint statement, the networks said no administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting. They see the White House’s move as an attempt to override a rotation the networks organize themselves.
The White House press pool exists as a resource-sharing system, as five separate television crews cannot fit into tight spaces like the Oval Office. When only one camera can fit, the designated network captures the footage and makes it available to the others. When CNN was scheduled to cover the president on Monday, it was filming on behalf of the entire group.
Even Fox News is refusing to fill CNN’s spot in the pool
The dispute began when Trump announced a White House press ban on Friday, barring CNN, MS NOW, and Politico over what he described as false and unfair coverage. Reporters from all three outlets were turned away the next day, and their credentials were deactivated. The White House then pulled CNN from its pool slot for a week that includes Trump’s United Nations address.
The three banned organizations have since filed a federal lawsuit, arguing that the administration violated the First Amendment by retaliating against their journalism and the Fifth Amendment by revoking credentials without due process. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly.
Kelly, whom Trump appointed in 2017, ordered the White House in 2018 to restore the credentials of CNN reporter Jim Acosta. However, the current case is broader, as it involves the exclusion of entire news organizations rather than one individual.
The White House launched an online stream called Trump TV: The Essentials Station on Monday night. The 24/7 service distributes administration-produced content directly to the public, and it is controlled by the government rather than run as an independent journalistic operation.
The gap between a government feed and the independent pool showed earlier that day, when the White House livestream of a helipad ribbon-cutting reportedly lacked usable audio of Trump’s remarks. In a standard scenario, the pool would have provided professional audio and camera work for all outlets to use. Without it, news organizations were forced to rely on whatever the administration chose to provide.
Other media organizations have also joined the effort. The Washington Post, New York Times, and HuffPost committed to withholding pool or White House-provided photography of Monday’s events until the end of the day. The White House Correspondents’ Association, led by Fox News correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, has called for the three outlets’ access to be restored immediately.
This is not the first time the pool process has been challenged. In February 2025, the administration announced it would take more control over pool positions, claiming that newer and nontraditional media deserved a seat at the table. However, the current dispute goes further, as it blocks a specific network from a rotation it had already been assigned.
Kelly has set a Wednesday afternoon hearing on the outlets’ request for a temporary restraining order, after ordering the Justice Department to respond by Tuesday.
Published: Sep 22, 2026 09:45 am