TV Pool Resumes After First-Ever Solidarity Blackout

ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC resumed White House pool coverage Friday after a dayslong solidarity blackout forced by the Trump administration's press ban.

The five networks that share White House television pool duties — ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC — resumed collective coverage of President Donald Trump on Friday, September 25, 2026, ending a several-day standoff over press access, thedesk.net reports. CBS served as the television pool for Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival at the White House at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time, capturing Trump and First Lady Melania Trump greeting the Chinese leader, while CNN handled the pool assignment later at the National Archives. According to the Associated Press, viewers at noon on CNN could see Trump and Xi touring the National Archives — a routine state-visit report, except that CNN had not aired live video of Trump in several days.

The Guardian reports the pool's decision to cease recording and transmitting White House footage on Monday was an unprecedented move taken in solidarity with CNN, MS Now and Politico, which Trump had banned from the building over what he called their 'constant "reporting" FAKE NEWS.' For much of the week there was no high-quality pool footage of White House events, and a summit with Xi Jinping went without video coverage on the leading television networks.

But the ruling did not directly address the pool itself: The Associated Press reports the networks continued to abstain even after the three outlets' reporters returned, and The Guardian says CNN and MS NOW journalists were still denied access to Thursday's state dinner for Xi. Confirmation came only Friday, when CNN received a White House email with logistical instructions for its National Archives assignment — a message thedesk.net says the networks treated as assurance that CNN could proceed.

Once the cameras returned, Trump turned to the pool lens during his tea with Xi and said, 'We appreciate the fair coverage. It's been very fair. We appreciate it' — a moment thedesk.net, Reuters and the Irish Times all record. The praise contrasted sharply with his social media post earlier in the week claiming the Xi visit was 'Actually made for Television' and that the networks had 'refused' to cover it; thedesk.net notes the post did not mention the administration had barred some outlets from the grounds. Reuters reports Trump declined to answer questions on China, Iran, his media ban and a controversial taxpayer-funded TV ad as Xi arrived.

Reuters reports the ban prompted an extraordinary legal campaign: CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued Trump and administration members, arguing the ban violated First Amendment free-speech and free-press protections as well as due process. thedesk.net reports more than four dozen news organizations — including the Associated Press, the New York Times, the Washington Post, Reuters, Bloomberg, ProPublica and the Los Angeles Times, plus E.W. Scripps — backed a Wednesday friend-of-the-court brief calling the action a brazen First Amendment violation. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press president Bruce Brown, quoted by thedesk.net, said the president 'kicked news organizations out of the White House because he does not like the news they report.'

The resumption is provisional. Reuters reports the outlets have until September 28 to ask the judge to keep their access in place while the case moves forward, and a lawyer for the three outlets warned in court that the White House could again revoke access during litigation. A note to pool subscribers, quoted by thedesk.net, said the plan is to cover the president 'in a normal capacity with a full crew,' with the arrangement to be 'assessed throughout the day.' thedesk.net also reports the White House has not made a public comment on the matter, while Reuters notes critics' concerns about Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison — who attended Thursday's state dinner — tailoring CBS News coverage as his company seeks to merge with CNN-parent Warner Bros. Discovery.