White House TV pool resumes operations after temporary ban on news outlets

The U.S. network video pool for the White House resumed operations on Friday, following a ban imposed by President Donald Trump on three news outlets. This marked the first time in several days that these outlets were allowed access. At noon, CNN broadcast live footage of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping touring the National Archives, alongside their spouses, Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan. The broadcast included a banner stating: 'Trump and China's Xi Visit National Archives.' This event was notable as CNN had not aired live video of Trump in several days. A source familiar with the pool, who requested anonymity due to the situation's fluidity, stated, 'As of now, all systems are go.' The pool consists of five major U.S. broadcast outlets that take turns capturing and sharing video. The White House had previously banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from its grounds, prompting the remaining four pool providers to withdraw in solidarity. A judge issued a temporary ruling early Thursday that struck down the ban, although it did not specifically address the pool's operations. Despite the ruling, the networks continued to refrain from covering Trump as part of the pool, even though reporters from the banned outlets were permitted back into the White House. CNN did not provide direct comments on Friday, instead referring to its editorial coverage. However, Brian Stelter, a media analyst for CNN, noted on X that the network had a pool assignment for the National Archives event and confirmed that the White House had approved its credentials. The situation unfolded in Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2026.