White House TV Pool Resumes After Judge Orders CNN Access Restored

The White House television pool of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC resumed Friday. The networks had suspended rotating assignments Monday after the administration barred CNN; the other four refused to replace it. Judge Timothy Kelly's temporary restraining order early Thursday restored access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico for 14 days. Reporters were turned away that morning despite the order and let back around noon. The White House confiscated hard passes hours after the order, then restored them after a notice of noncompliance. Kelly's order did not directly settle CNN's pool role, and networks withheld pool coverage Thursday while seeking assurances, leaving no network pool of Xi Jinping's White House visit. Friday, CNN was credentialed for Trump and Xi at the National Archives; CBS was primary White House pooler. An unattributed pool note said, "As of now, all systems are go." Brian Stelter posted that the White House approved CNN's Archives credentials. Thursday night CNN and MS NOW said some journalists were denied Xi's state dinner after earlier clearance. CNN said a photojournalist and audio technician got in but a reporter and producer did not. MS NOW's Laura Barrón-López was told to "talk to Steven" when she asked why she was turned away; MS NOW said it requested credentials and got no response. Their lawsuit alleging due process and First Amendment violations continues.