White House video pool resumes after CNN ban setback

The White House network video pool resumed operations on Friday, ending a brief halt after President Donald Trump's administration barred CNN and two other news outlets from the White House in a dispute over media access.

The pool, which includes five major US broadcasters that take turns filming and sharing video, had stopped working after the other four outlets refused to participate in solidarity with CNN, one of its members. The live feed resumed as Trump prepared to accompany Chinese President Xi Jinping to the National Archives.

"As of now, all systems are go," a person familiar with the pool said on condition of anonymity because the situation remained fluid.

When the White House banned CNN and two other outlets from its grounds, the remaining four broadcasters in the pool declined to take part. A judge on Thursday temporarily struck down the ban on CNN, MSNBC and Politico, though the ruling did not directly deal with the pool. Even after reporters from the three outlets were allowed back into the White House, the networks continued to stay away from pool coverage.

CNN did not comment directly on Friday and referred instead to its editorial coverage. However, the network's media analyst Brian Stelter said in a post on X that CNN had a pool assignment for the National Archives event and that the White House had approved the network's credentials.

The daily White House press schedule also listed CBS among Friday's pool assignments. CNN had a pool assignment as well, and an Associated Press journalist saw the network preparing on site, marking the return of the shared White House video operation after the access dispute.