Key facts
- Major US TV networks suspended pooled coverage of President Trump's events.
- The White House banned CNN, Politico, and MS NOW from the grounds.
- CNN, Politico, and MS NOW are suing the Trump administration over the ban.
- Trump accused the banned outlets of spreading "fake news" and "fictions and lies."
- The White House press pool is a group of news organizations that combine resources to follow presidents.
Major US television networks suspended their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump on Monday in response to CNN, Politico and MS NOW being barred from the White House. Trump announced the ban on Friday, accusing the organizations of writing "fiction or lies" about his administration. The dispute began when reporters from those organizations found their White House entry badges had been disabled.
The White House press pool is a group of news organizations that combine resources to follow presidents wherever they are, sharing material to save costs and space. The five networks in the TV pool are CNN, ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC.
In a joint statement, the five networks said: "The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting."
CNN, Politico and MS NOW have filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration to "defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports." A hearing is scheduled for Wednesday. Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, calling the outlets "Third Rate Clowns" and "Crooked and Corrupt Press."
Coverage of upcoming presidential engagements, including the UN General Assembly, could be affected. Real America's Voice was listed as "secondary" crew on Trump's trip to New York, operating unilaterally.