CNN and MSNBC Journalists Barred from Xi State Banquet Despite Court Order

CNN and MS Now journalists were excluded from the state banquet welcoming Chinese President Xi Jinping at the White House on Thursday, despite a court order restoring their press credentials. Only a photographer and sound technician were admitted, not reporters or producers. A federal judge had temporarily reinstated access for CNN, MS Now, and Politico, ruling the administration's criteria for revoking press passes were too vague. The White House had banned the outlets over their coverage, prompting the legal challenge citing press freedom violations. Several major US networks boycotted a shared video pool in solidarity, leaving no live TV coverage of Xi's arrival. President Trump accused the outlets of refusing to cover the event to deny him credit.