Sep 22, 2026 · 1 hr 18 min · 18 segments
Major television networks halt White House pool coverage after Trump announces that he's banning journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. Jon and Tommy react to Trump and JD Vance's justifications…
Jon FavreauHost
Tommy VietorHost
Cait ConleyGuest
Dan PfeifferHost
Uh, Trump's latest strategy to deal with the media coverage, uh, of his extremely unpopular war, tariffs, presidency, uh, is to simply forbid journalists from entering the White House.
On Friday, Trump announced that he is, quote, "banning CNN, MS Now, and Politico" for, quote, "constantly reporting fake news." By Saturday, reporters from all three outlets had their credentials confiscated and were physically turned away from the White House complex.
On Monday, the three organizations sued the administration, arguing that the government cannot revoke access to journalists just because the president doesn't like their coverage.
Uh, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox also announced that they would not supply a replacement television crew after the White House kicked CNN out of its scheduled pool rotation, which means the major television networks will not have pool coverage of the president, and they're saying they will keep that up until this gets resolved.
Uh, JD Vance, uh, when he's not telling jokes, offered, uh, an insultingly dishonest defense of Trump's move Monday morning, only to be rebutted by Trump himself at a press conference with Zoran Mamdani later that afternoon.
Do you think it's appropriate for the president to be banning media outlets just because he doesn't like what they report?
Well, I take some issue with the premise.
So he's not banning media outlets.
What he's doing is saying, "We're not gonna give you special access to the White House if you engage in what is effectively propaganda."
Sir, you've talked a lot about free speech over the years.
How is this not an attack on free speech?
Now, why on God's green earth would Donald Trump be expected to give Politico special access when nobody in the media is, is expected the Biden administration or the Obama administration to give Breitbart special access? It's about basic fairness.
And if they're fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special house.
This is a special house, Gracie Mansion.
Well, the White House is the most special of all houses, I have to say.
Yeah, I, I, I told the president, uh, that we're gonna have all of the members of the press here on the lawn, and that is something that I believe in is, is everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique, that we engage.
And Mr. President?
Yeah, it's interesting because, uh, they said w- they were gonna boycott me, but they never boycott me, so I wasn't very worried about that.
Look at all that press.
It's just, like, a credential to get onto the White House grounds that he's talking about.
Yes, and also maybe no one in the media expected the Biden White House to give Breitbart, uh, a press pass, but that's what they did.
Uh, Trump's latest strategy to deal with the media coverage, uh, of his extremely unpopular war, tariffs, presidency, uh, is to simply forbid journalists from entering the White House.
On Friday, Trump announced that he is, quote, "banning CNN, MS Now, and Politico" for, quote, "constantly reporting fake news." By Saturday, reporters from all three outlets had their credentials confiscated and were physically turned away from the White House complex.
On Monday, the three organizations sued the administration, arguing that the government cannot revoke access to journalists just because the president doesn't like their coverage.
Uh, ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox also announced that they would not supply a replacement television crew after the White House kicked CNN out of its scheduled pool rotation, which means the major television networks will not have pool coverage of the president, and they're saying they will keep that up until this gets resolved.
Uh, JD Vance, uh, when he's not telling jokes, offered, uh, an insultingly dishonest defense of Trump's move Monday morning, only to be rebutted by Trump himself at a press conference with Zoran Mamdani later that afternoon.
Do you think it's appropriate for the president to be banning media outlets just because he doesn't like what they report?
Well, I take some issue with the premise.
So he's not banning media outlets.
What he's doing is saying, "We're not gonna give you special access to the White House if you engage in what is effectively propaganda."
Sir, you've talked a lot about free speech over the years.
How is this not an attack on free speech?
Now, why on God's green earth would Donald Trump be expected to give Politico special access when nobody in the media is, is expected the Biden administration or the Obama administration to give Breitbart special access? It's about basic fairness.
And if they're fake news, I really think I have an obligation not to allow them into another very special house.
This is a special house, Gracie Mansion.
Well, the White House is the most special of all houses, I have to say.
Yeah, I, I, I told the president, uh, that we're gonna have all of the members of the press here on the lawn, and that is something that I believe in is, is everyone, no matter the opinion or the critique, that we engage.
And Mr. President?
Yeah, it's interesting because, uh, they said w- they were gonna boycott me, but they never boycott me, so I wasn't very worried about that.
Look at all that press.
It's just, like, a credential to get onto the White House grounds that he's talking about.
Yes, and also maybe no one in the media expected the Biden White House to give Breitbart, uh, a press pass, but that's what they did.
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