Story summary
On September 22, Donald Trump arrived at the United Nations headquarters in New York for his General Assembly speech. As he entered, he encountered Kaitlan Collins of CNN, whom he had previously banned from covering him due to perceived unflattering coverage. Trump questioned why CNN was there and told her, “You should not be here covering me.” Despite the ban, CNN was credentialed by the UN to cover the event.
This confrontation highlighted escalating tensions between Trump and news outlets that criticize his presidency. The White House had recently banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from its grounds for coverage it deemed inaccurate. The three networks responded by filing a lawsuit against the administration on September 21, arguing that the ban was unconstitutional and seeking to overturn it in court.
The incident underscores Trump's waning influence as he faces increasing opposition within the Republican party, federal courts reining him in, and growing public dissatisfaction with his handling of domestic issues like inflation and the war in Iran.
Written for “Trump Media Standoffs UN” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 7 other(s) covering the same event.
On a day of high-stakes diplomacy on the global stage, President Donald Trump began his United Nations visit by telling a prominent U.S. journalist, “You should not be here.”
asserted
You → begin → journalist
“It’s an honor to be here,” Trump said as he entered U.N. doors Tuesday ahead of his speech to the General Assembly and faced Kaitlan Collins of CNN, a frequent target of his ire.
asserted
he → ’ → ire
“I’m surprised that CNN is here covering me.
asserted
CNN → ’m → me
You should not be here covering me.
asserted
You → cover → me
You said you weren’t going to cover me.”
asserted
you → say → me
As Collins noted later on air, CNN said nothing of the kind.
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CNN → note → kind
The administration had banned CNN from White House grounds days earlier — along with MS NOW and Politico — and removed the network from pool duty.
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administration → ban → duty
But CNN had been admitted into the U.N. as regularly credentialed media.
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CNN → admit → media
The current ban was the subject of a joint lawsuit filed Monday by the three outlets, asking a judge to find the administration’s move unconstitutional.
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move → file → judge
The White House had until Tuesday to respond, and a hearing is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
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hearing → have → afternoon
Trump says he has a right to ‘clean out fake news’
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he → say → news
Later Tuesday, Trump doubled down on his remarks and said negative coverage was dangerous for the country.
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coverage → double → country
Asked whether he would allow the outlets back in if the court rules against the White House, he said, “Well, it probably will, because this is a judge who’s not a particularly fair judge.”
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who → ask → House
He was referring to U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, whom he appointed in 2017 and who ordered a CNN journalist’s access restored in a similar case in 2018.
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access → refer → 2018
“So you never know,” Trump added.
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Trump → know → ?
“I think we have a right to clean out fake news.”
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we → think → news
Trump’s comments echoed others he’s made since announcing the ban Friday.
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he → echo → ban
He has referred to “purposely negative stories,” but cited no specific stories — only generally “fake news” — as justification for the ban.
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He → refer → ban
The ban and lawsuit are part of a long-running conflict between the president — especially in his second term — and media outlets he finds unfavorable.
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he → run → term
Trump has responded in the courtroom, or with regulatory action.
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Trump → respond → action
He’s also lashed out at individual reporters in person or over social media, sometimes in strikingly personal terms — as he has with CNN’s Collins, most recently in a speech at the White House Correspondents’ Association dinner.
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he → lash → dinner
On air, after her exchange with Trump on Tuesday, Collins said: “We never said we were not going to cover the president.
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we → say → president
We will do our best to cover him each and every day.”
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We → do → him
Networks began the day without pool coverage
Tuesday began with an item missing from the daily press schedule issued by the White House: It did not list the U.S. network pool, a departure from the norm.
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It → begin → norm
CNN had been the designated pool network for the president’s trip to New York, according to a schedule that divides coverage of certain events between the five major networks.
uncertain
that → designate → networks
But Trump’s ban removed it from pool duties.
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ban → remove → duties
The other pool members agreed, in solidarity, not to replace CNN with another network on the coverage, and further to suspend all pool coverage until further notice.
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members → agree → notice
Other news outlets also took steps in solidarity.
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outlets → take → solidarity
The Associated Press joined a number of news organizations, including The Washington Post and The New York Times, in a decision not to publish photographs of presidential events Monday.
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Press → join → events
It remains to be seen how long both the ban and the collective media action will continue.
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ban → remain → ?
In speeches and meetings Tuesday, Trump was seen plenty by global audiences, thanks to UNTV — the official United Nations broadcast arm — and pool journalists covering other international leaders.
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Trump → see → leaders
Meanwhile, a sign was spotted in the White House workspace: “I stand with AP, CNN, MS NOW, Politico.”
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I → spot → AP
For audiences, the long-term impact may be more serious, analyst says
One longtime TV analyst says the lack of constant coverage will prove damaging to a spotlight-loving president — which may be one reason the standoff ultimately ends.
“This ban is not going to go on forever because he doesn’t want that to happen, anymore than anybody else,” said Robert Thompson, director of Syracuse University’s Bleier Center for Television and Popular Culture.
uncertain
Thompson → say → Television
In the short term, Thompson said, audiences won’t feel the impact in a lasting way — after all, he noted, there are many ways people get news outside of network coverage.
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people → say → coverage
“We are not going to be deprived of important civic information,” Thompson said, as might have happened years ago when outlets and options were fewer.
uncertain
outlets → go → information
On the other hand, if viewers were interested in what Trump said as he inaugurated a helipad at the White House on Monday, they were out of luck: The sound of Trump’s whirring, waiting helicopter drowned out his remarks.
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sound → say → remarks
TV network crews usually work to capture clearer audio.
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crews → work → audio
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
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Report → start → news
On a deeper level, Thompson said, news consumers will be impacted in a more serious way.
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consumers → say → way
He called out Trump’s remarks labeling negative media coverage “dangerous” as troubling.
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He → call → coverage
…and 1 more, not listed.
The Aporia
