Major television networks collectively launched a limited media blackout Monday against President Donald Trump, a move that many predicted would quickly see the president “buckle” under pressure and reverse his recent White House media ban.
Over the weekend, Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, an unprecedented move that sparked swift backlash. On Monday, Fox News’ Bryan Boughton led the charge in announcing that America’s top TV networks would not cover events “designated as pool coverage of the President,” with “pool” referring to the small rotating group of journalists who are assigned to cover the president.
Given Trump’s longstanding fixation with the media — and how he’s depicted in it — countless figures championed the participating media outlets for growing a “spine” by collectively using their power against the president.
“This is an appropriate response and glad to see non-impacted networks have a spine, to their detriment, but more importantly, to the detriment of a President who cares desperately for attention,” wrote Chris Meagher, former Biden administration spokesperson and Democratic operative, in a social media post on X.
Others bemoaned that it took the media until late 2026 to finally weaponize their immense power over Trump: “Should’ve happened a long time ago,” reads an online post from the progressive media outlet The Tennessee Holler; “Should have happened months ago,” wroteSophia Nelson, a prominent legal analyst and journalist.
New York Times journalist and media reporter Michael Grynbaumcalled the TV networks’ move an “extraordinary escalation,” noting that throughout his decade-long career covering the media, he’d “rarely seen this kind of collective action by archival news outlets.”
“This is huge,” wrote Texas-based journalist Arturo Dominguez, reacting to news of the media revolt. “Let's see what happens. My bet is Trump buckles because, as I've always said, people in power need the media, not the other way around.”
Longtime film journalist Sean O’Connell came to a similar conclusion, albeit with far more inflammatory commentary.
“Good. F--- him. Ignore him, and he'll shrivel up and finally die,” O’Connell wrote in a social media post on X. “He only craves attention. Stop giving any to him.”
This is an extraordinary escalation. Even amid the White House's lawsuits & threats, we've rarely seen this kind of collection action by archrival news outlets. https://t.co/qS4SzcHeW8
— Michael M. Grynbaum (@grynbaum) September 21, 2026