CNN and MS NOW said they were denied editorial access to cover arrivals at the White House state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite the event being scheduled for pre-credentialed media. The dispute followed a federal judge’s order restoring the outlets’ White House press credentials after a five-day ban, and came after President Trump criticised the networks for allegedly refusing to cover Xi’s visit.

CNN said it was offered access only for camera and audio recording, without a correspondent or producer present. The White House described the event as restricted and accused the networks of expecting unrestricted access, while television pool coverage remained disrupted after other networks declined to replace CNN when it was removed from the rotation.