US networks halt Trump coverage over White House ban

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Leading US broadcasters suspended TV "pool" coverage of US President Donald Trump on Monday in solidarity with CNN, MS NOW and Politico, which have been banned from the White House.

"The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting," ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said in a statement.

TV broadcasters rotate responsibility for filming the president at some events.

The White House on Saturday denied access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico, following through with Trump's announcement that he would ban them from the building's grounds.

All three news outlets separately said their teams' press passes were confiscated on Saturday morning when their journalists went to the White House.

The three news organizations said they had notified the government that they were filing a lawsuit to protect their First Amendment rights in the US District Court for the District of Columbia and could see emergency hearings in the case as soon as this week. — Agence France-Presse