TV Networks Finally Pull Plug on Trump After Crackpot CNN Ban

MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images America’s major TV networks have fired back at Donald Trump’s ban on certain media at the White House by refusing to assign a reporting crew to cover him, in an extraordinary escalation in the battle between the press and the president.

Days after Trump took the astonishing step of banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House because he wanted more favorable coverage, NBC, ABC, CBS and even the Trump-friendly Fox News joined forces to suspend White House pool duties and boycott the 80-year-old.

The move leaves Trump without a TV crew from any of the major networks as he heads to the United Nations General Assembly on Monday ahead of a much-anticipated state visit by Chinese president Xi Jinping later this week.

“Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the President.

This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties.

There will be no replacement pool put in place,” said an email to TV pool subscribers released on Monday.

The boycott comes as the three banned outlets sue Trump, White House communications director Steven Cheung, Secret Service Director Sean Curran, and Chief of Staff Susan Wiles over the revocation of their access.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Washington on Monday, argues that the administration’s move violates the First and Fifth Amendments–and uses Trump’s own words as evidence that the ban was retaliation for coverage he disliked, not a legitimate security or logistical decision.

Trump announced the ban on September 18, accusing CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO of producing “FAKE NEWS.” In the Oval Office, he said the decision was based on “cumulative stories over the last two years” and complained that the outlets wrote “purposely negative” coverage intended to “diminish” him and his administration.

He also said there was “something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,” adding that if the outlets wanted to publish such stories, “that’s fine,” but he did not have to let them into “the people’s house.” He also admitted if the networks “could straighten themselves out,” he would “love it.” The administration then deactivated the reporters’ hard passes on Saturday, preventing them from entering the White House grounds, and on Monday, it removed CNN from pool coverage responsibilities shared by major networks.

Before Trump’s ban, the network was scheduled to have TV pool duty and travel with the president to New York today for the latest UN General Assembly meeting, where he will meet with world leaders and deliver a speech on Tuesday.