White House drops CNN from Monday press pool as Trump escalates feud with three outlets

The White House excluded CNN from its Monday press-pool rotation, deepening a dispute that began when Trump barred CNN, MSNBC and Politico from the White House.

• Monday's assignment included no primary TV network, breaking a long-standing rotation in which ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News share pool duty.
• Trump posted on Truth Social an image of three black garbage bags on the White House lawn, each bag labeled with one of the three barred networks.
• CNN, MSNBC and Politico said they will file a lawsuit under the First Amendment challenging the ban.
• Trump justified the ban by accusing the outlets of publishing "fake news" and said he may take similar action against other outlets.
• CNN, MSNBC and Politico said the ban came “without notice or process” and warned it threatens press freedom and the public's right to independent journalism.
• Trump said other outlets could face similar action, naming the New York Times and the Washington Post as “fake news.”
• The three outlets filed the First Amendment lawsuit in the US district court for Washington, DC.
• The White House had disabled the outlets' press credentials on Saturday, ahead of the suit.
• The White House Correspondents' Association urged the administration to restore the outlets' access, warning the ban could set a precedent for excluding any outlet over its coverage.
• The three outlets are also seeking a temporary restraining order to restore their access, arguing the ban violates due process.
• Trump likened 'fake news' to a 'spreading cancer' in a Truth Social post.
• Major networks including Fox, ABC, CBS, NBC and CNN suspended joint coverage of White House events in solidarity with the barred outlets.