Donald and Melania Trump welcomed Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at Joint Base Andrews on Wednesday evening, but CNN, Fox News and MSNOW did not air the greeting live. The White House streamed it as a federal judge ended a hearing over Trump’s media ban without ruling.
CNN anchor Jake Tapper said his show would normally air images of the meeting but could not. MSNOW opened with the hearing, where the judge appeared skeptical of the administration’s argument; Fox host Bret Baier mentioned the greeting before turning to an interview with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
Trump announced last week that CNN, MSNOW and Politico were barred from the White House, accusing them of “fake news” reporting. The White House Correspondents’ Association said the move violated the First Amendment and warned that excluding an outlet because of its coverage could set a standard applied to others. The greeting took place amid U.S.-China tensions over artificial intelligence, trade and other policies.
