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The major U.S. television networks launched what was described as a boycott against TV pool coverage of President Donald Trump on Monday after the White House dropped CNN from the network’s scheduled pool assignment, escalating the administration’s assault on the country’s most prominent media organizations and press freedom.

CNN was set to act as the television pool network accompanying the president during his trip to the United Nations General Assembly this week, but the administration stripped the network of its assignment shortly after Trump banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, prompting a retaliatory lawsuit from the three outlets.

The major television networks typically rotate responsibility for traveling video coverage of the president. Bryan Boughton, Washington, D.C. bureau chief for Fox News and current chair of the TV press pool, said Monday morning that “effective today, the TV pool will not be covering events designated as pool coverage of the president.”

“This follows the White House’s position preventing CNN from fulfilling its assigned pool duties,” Boughton added. “There will be no replacement pool put in place.”

Scott Nover, a media reporter with The Washington Post, noted that “it’s effectively a boycott by the fellow members — ABC, CBS, NBC, and FOX.”

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“There will effectively be no TV coverage of Trump’s UN visit or other presidential events, though I imagine smaller networks may take the White House’s own feed,” Nover wrote on social media. “This is a very big deal and........

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