White House television pool members FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News announced Monday they have agreed to suspend their pooled coverage of President Donald Trump after he banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico, accusing the three outlets of publishing “fake news.”
Monday had been CNN’s turn to serve as White House pool representative. The pool members have long taken turns covering the president and sharing footage.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the pool members, FOX News Media, ABC News, CBS News, CNN and NBC News, said in a joint statement.
TRUMP ANNOUNCES WHITE HOUSE BAN AGAINST THREE MEDIA OUTLETS
It came hours after CNN, MS NOW and Politico announced they planned to file a lawsuit in response to Trump’s attempted White House ban.
“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the three outlets said in a joint statement.
“Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting,” the statement continued. “Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
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Trump took to Truth Social again on Monday, insisting that he was not going after the “free press.”
“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish. It is instituting an assault on the FAKE NEWS, something that has grown like Cancer in our beloved United States of America. It is corrupt, purposeful, pervasive, fully coordinated, and totally out of control. It is a threat to our National Security, and must be stopped, NOW! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” Trump posted.
Past efforts by the Trump administration to ban outlets and individual journalists have been blocked by federal judges.
