Major networks in the White House television press pool are resuming their coverage on Friday after press passes were reinstated for CNN, Politico, and MS Now.
The development comes one day after a Trump-appointed federal judge ordered the administration to lift its ban on the three news outlets for two weeks. President Donald Trump banned CNN, Politico, and MS Now from covering the White House last Friday, sparking an intense court battle.
On Monday, the five media networks that make up the White House television pool — NBC, ABC, CBS, Fox News, and CNN — decided to stop fulfilling their pool duties until the administration reversed course on its CNN ban. It appears the controversy may be settling down, although CNN chief media analyst Brian Stelter noted the “situation remains fluid.”
CBS resumed its normal pool coverage at the White House on Friday, and CNN covered an in-town pool assignment involving a visit to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., by Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two world leaders viewed the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence while they were there. CNN’s coverage of the event appeared to run smoothly.
Xi is present in the United States for a three-day summit set to end on Friday. After meeting in Beijing earlier this year, Trump invited his Chinese counterpart to the White House.
ABC was slated for pool duties on Thursday, but the networks in the rotating television press pool refrained from covering Xi’s visit to the White House that day.
As Xi was in town for the state visit, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly determined that Trump’s media ban was unconstitutional and ordered the White House to restore press credentials for CNN, Politico, and MS Now.
Despite the judge’s ruling, the administration blocked CNN and MS Now reporters from attending the state dinner Thursday night.
WHITE HOUSE ALLOWS BANNED MEDIA OUTLETS BACK ON GROUNDS AFTER JUDGE’S ORDER
Ted Boutrous, a lawyer representing the three news outlets in their lawsuit challenging the ban, said the plaintiffs believe that Kelly’s temporary restraining order applies to pool access.
“We think that that restoration of access means back into the pool, which is good for President Trump and the administration,” Boutrous told CNN host Jake Tapper. “And it’s good for the American people to get the pool back up and running.”