White House TV pool appears to be back in operation, but CNN’s media analyst calls situation ‘fluid’

The U.S. network video pool for the White House appeared to be back in operation Friday, although the situation “remains fluid,” according to the media analyst for CNN, one of three outlets that were banned for three days.

A judge temporarily struck down the ban of CNN, MS NOW and Politico on Thursday, but his ruling didn’t directly address the pool, which consists of five major U.S. broadcast outlets that take turns shooting and sharing video. In a show of solidarity, the other four had declined to participate in the video pool until CNN was reinstated.

CNN was not commenting directly, referring instead to its editorial coverage. But Brian Stelter, the network’s media analyst, posted on X that the major networks plan to resume TV pool coverage of Trump events on Friday.

He said CNN has a pool assignment at the National Archives with U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and that the White House had approved the network’s credentials for the event.

A daily White House press schedule listed CBS as one of the pool assignments Friday.

CNN also had a pool assignment Friday, and an Associated Press journalist saw the network preparing on site.