CNN abruptly dropped from White House press pool for second time

The White House has removed CNN from its television press pool assignment covering President Donald Trump for the second time in a week.

CNN had been scheduled as the primary television pooler for Trump’s Thursday activities, including trips to Texas and Oklahoma.

However, the White House abruptly removed the network from the assignment on Wednesday night.

Conservative network Real America’s Voice, originally listed as the secondary pooler, was left as the only television pool outlet.

CNN was also excluded from pool duty aboard Air Force One on Saturday, despite a federal judge temporarily overturning the White House’s ban on CNN, MS Now and Politico two days earlier.

The other four major television networks will not replace CNN on Thursday, meaning there will be no primary pool footage, according to The Guardian.

Lawyers representing CNN, MS Now and Politico have asked the court to extend its ruling blocking the ban.

“As we explain in our latest brief, the White House is persisting in unpredictably and inconsistently implementing the President’s unconstitutional ‘ban on the free press’ by barring CNN from fulfilling its role as a designated television network pooler – to the detriment of CNN, its fellow pool members and, ultimately, the American public,” lawyer Theodore J Boutrous said.