Major television networks continued a boycott of the White House press pool on Thursday, September 24, 2026, as the status of several news outlets remained in dispute during a state visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping. Journalists from ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News remained on-site but declined to participate in pool coverage, citing uncertainty over the access granted to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The three outlets were banned by President Donald Trump last week for what he termed unfair coverage, leading to a legal challenge.
A federal judge ruled in favor of the three organizations earlier Thursday, granting a 14-day temporary restoration of their White House access. Following the ruling, journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico were allowed back onto the White House grounds by midday Thursday, where they conducted live shots from the North Lawn. However, later that evening, CNN and MS NOW reported that their personnel were again restricted or denied entry to President Xi’s arrival for a state dinner.
The boycott resulted in no major network coverage of President Xi’s arrival at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday. While ABC was scheduled as the primary pool outlet for Thursday, it did not broadcast the day's events. Print, radio, and secondary television journalists remained in the pool to provide coverage. During a brief interaction on the South Lawn, President Trump told reporters a meeting with President Xi was "great," though he did not address questions regarding Taiwan, artificial intelligence, or fentanyl.
The scale of the conflict is defined by the 14-day window established by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly’s order. This ruling provides temporary relief to the three organizations—CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—while the court considers the broader constitutional questions of the case. The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the White House Correspondents' Association, and dozens of news organizations, including NPR, filed a friend-of-the-court brief to support the restoration of access. The primary legal issue centers on due process, with Judge Kelly finding the White House likely failed to provide adequate notice or a chance for the outlets to respond before revoking their credentials.
The outcome of this case may set a precedent for how the White House manages press credentials and whether it can exclude specific organizations based on the content of their reporting. While the White House maintains discretion for security reasons, legal experts like Gabe Rottman of the Reporters Committee note that this authority cannot be used for viewpoint discrimination. If the 14-day order expires without a permanent resolution, the three outlets could again lose their ability to report from the grounds. A next court date was not reported, but the temporary order remains the governing standard through early October 2026.