President Donald Trump confronted a CNN correspondent upon arriving at the United Nations headquarters in New York on Tuesday, escalating an ongoing dispute between the White House and several major news organizations.
The Standoff
As the president entered the venue, he told CNN journalist Kaitlan Collins, “You should not be here covering me. You said you weren’t going to cover me.” The encounter occurred after the administration removed CNN from pool duty for the New York trip.
The White House had banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from its grounds days earlier. The decision followed a Friday announcement by Trump, who inaugurated a new helipad at the White House on Monday. Helicopter noise during the ceremony reportedly drowned out his remarks.
Legal Challenge
CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed a joint lawsuit on Monday alleging the access ban is unconstitutional. The case is scheduled for a hearing Wednesday afternoon before U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly.
Judge Kelly was appointed by Trump in 2017. In a similar 2018 dispute, Kelly ordered the restoration of a CNN journalist’s access to the president.
Industry Response
The media ban has triggered unusual cooperation among news organizations. Other pool members agreed not to replace CNN and suspended all pool coverage until further notice. Additionally, The Associated Press, The Washington Post, and The New York Times decided not to publish photographs of presidential events on Monday.
A sign supporting AP, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico was visible in the White House press room on Sept. 19, 2026.
Analysis
Robert Thompson noted that the restriction is unlikely to be permanent. “This ban is not going to go on forever because he doesn’t want that to happen, anymore than anybody else,” Thompson said.
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