Major TV Networks Drop Trump From UN Coverage

All major TV networks have dropped Trump from their on-air schedules as the fight over his media ban reaches a boiling point. Fox News, CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC, known collectively as the TV pool, are walking out on Monday. They refuse to send cameras or reporters to cover him at the United Nations General Assembly in New York. This leaves the president's trip completely unaired on the big screens viewers usually trust for news.

The White House pulled the plug on CNN, MS Now and Politico last Friday, labeling them fake news and banning them from its halls. Press passes were revoked over the weekend when journalists tried to work there anyway. Trump even hinted at punishing The New York Times and The Washington Post next. Sunday's official guidance made it clear: no pool coverage for Monday. That wiped CNN off the rotation before they could even get on camera.

Real America's Voice will still stream the event from UN headquarters, but Hearst is the only local operator left to film White House stops. Fox News Bureau Chief Bryan Boughton confirmed the walkout in an email sent early Monday morning. He wrote that the TV pool would not cover events designated for the President because CNN could not fulfill its duties. There would be no replacement crew put in place.

The networks issued a sharp statement defending their right to report freely. They argued the public has a vital interest in accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should shut down a news organization just because it disagrees with what is being reported. It remains unclear when these major broadcasters will return to covering the White House again.