White House TV pool standoff ends — for now

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White House Headlines- September 25 2026

White House Headlines- September 25 2026

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It’s Friday. We rarely work just 9 to 5 in the media business — but we can still celebrate the late Dolly Parton today with more than one cup of ambition. ☕

White House TV pool makes comeback 

Trump, Xi wrap up state visit 

Borrowing costs are flashing red 

DOJ staffing cuts strain civil division 

Programming note: Hello! We are Colin Meyn and Steff Danielle Thomas filling in for Cate. Please send your tips, comments and story ideas to cmeyn@thehill.com or sthomas@thehill.com. 

Things are back to normal(ish) for the last day of Xi’s visit: 

© The Associated Press | Alex Brandon

The White House TV pool was back in action Friday as President Trump and first lady Melania Trump greeted Chinese leader Xi Jinping and his wife, Peng Liyuan, for morning tea.  

Friday was CBS’s turn in the pool rotation, meaning its crew will follow the president’s every move for the day. CNN carried the CBS feed of Xi’s arrival at the White House, a clear signal the standoff with the White House is resolved, at least for now.  

Trump on Thursday complained that CNN and MS NOW, which he had banned from the White House, were not covering the “made for Television” state visit. Some reporters for the cable outlets were barred from covering the state dinner Thursday night.  

The other four outlets in the TV pool — CBS, ABC, NBC and Fox News — had refused to take their turns this week in solidarity with CNN.  

We’ll see how long this lasts: A judge’s injunction ordering the White House to let CNN, MS NOW and Politico back into the White House press corps lasts for two weeks.  

As the legal fight continues, it’s unclear if the White House will seek to restrict access for the outlets to certain places, like the Oval Office, as it did for The Associated Press during a similar fight last year.  

A key test will come tomorrow when CNN has its next rotation in the TV pool.  

💬Follow today’s live blog. 

So, what’s been happening during Xi’s visit: 

Beyond the pomp and fanfare, we’re still waiting on any significant deliverables from the talks between Trump and Xi.  

The two........

© The Hill