Trump’s fight with media disrupts his television coverage at United Nations

By Susan Ferrechio - The Washington Times - Monday, September 21, 2026

President Trump heads to the United Nations Monday, but there won’t be any cameras from the major U.S. broadcast and cable networks covering him there.

Four major media outlets have banded together with CNN and all are refusing to substitute for CNN’s cameras, which were scheduled to cover Mr. Trump before he banned them from his orbit, along with CNN’s reporters and producers.

The cable news giant was kicked out of the White House along with Politico and MS NOW, formerly MSNBC, for producing “fake news,” the president said.

CNN was scheduled to provide pooled TV coverage Monday for all of the networks. When the White House asked ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News to pick a replacement for CNN, they all refused.

“Effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the president. This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties. There will be no replacement pool put in place,” Fox News Washington Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton, who heads the White House TV pool rotation, wrote to subscribers.

Mr. Trump began waging a war against the three media outlets on Friday and has threatened to expand it to additional outlets over coverage he believes is untrue and unfair.

He doubled down on the decision Monday in an early morning Truth Social Post.

“The White House is not instituting an assault on the Free Press, something which I cherish,” Mr. Trump posted. “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!”

His decision to cut off CNN comes at a crucial time for media coverage.

The president will address the U.N. General Assembly Tuesday and meet with global leaders, including a pull-aside meeting with Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodriguez.

Chinese President Xi Jinping arrives in Washington on Wednesday and Mr. Trump is expected to take the rare step of greeting him at Joint Base Andrews for his state visit. There will be a formal arrival ceremony at the White House and a state dinner.

On Monday, Mr. Trump travels to New York City ahead of his U.N. address. He’s scheduled to meet with New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Gracie Mansion, followed by a sit-down with French President Emmanuel Macron. After those meetings, he’ll attend a Republican National Committee Reception and a fundraising dinner for his super PAC, MAGA, Inc.

None of Monday’s events were scheduled to be open to the press, but the president is known to hold impromptu events with pool reporters. If he does, there will be no camera coverage by the five major networks.

The five networks issued a joint statement on Monday:

“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 three banned outlets are suing to force the Trump administration to reinstate their access to the president and the White House.

“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,” representatives from the three outlets said.