On Monday’s episode of ABC’s “The View,” co-host Sunny Hostin sharply criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to bar CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House press pool, calling the move “what happens with dictators.” The reaction came during a segment discussing the administration’s exclusion of several major outlets from routine White House coverage.
Hostin praised the solidarity shown by the five networks that make up the principal White House TV pool—ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox News—which collectively declined to provide replacement pool coverage, effectively refusing to cover any White House events in protest. “I’m so proud that the pool got together in solidarity, including Fox News,” Hostin said. “They all got together and said, we will not provide replacement pool coverage, which means we will not cover any White House events.”
She continued, “Trump loves being on television. Like, I don’t understand what is happening inside of the White House that he doesn’t want us to know about. That is one of the things—like this is giving dictatorships, because as you said, Ana, this is what happens with dictators. What is he trying to hide from the American people?”
A Question of Accountability
Fellow co-host Sara Haines framed the issue in broader constitutional terms, emphasizing the press’s role as a check on executive power. “Well, the press is called the Fourth Estate because it was always meant to check that power,” Haines said. “It’s not the extension or a comms department for the White House. It’s not about favorable coverage.”
Haines added that restricting access ultimately harms the public. “It’s about punishing the American people,” she said. “Because when you block out the type of coverage and decide you’re going to choose, you’re limiting the public’s ability to check power where it is. And by the way, the free press is not the enemy of a secure nation. It’s actually what ensures a nation stays free.”
The White House has not publicly commented on the pool’s decision or the specific reasons for excluding those outlets. The move has drawn condemnation from press freedom advocates and prompted rare unified action from the major television networks that ordinarily compete for access.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has clashed with the press over access. During his first term, the White House frequently sparred with reporters and revoked credentials of individual journalists, though the current blanket exclusion of multiple outlets represents a significant escalation. The decision to block CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—three distinct outlets with different audiences—has raised questions about the criteria being used to determine who may cover the president.
The View’s History of Political Commentary
“The View” has long been a platform for political discussion, with its hosts often offering pointed commentary on current events. Hostin, a former prosecutor, has been an outspoken critic of Trump on numerous occasions. Her remarks Monday echoed concerns raised by media organizations and civil liberties groups.
The network pool’s refusal to provide substitute coverage means that unless the White House reverses its decision, television audiences may see reduced coverage of presidential events. The pool system, which has existed for decades, allows a small group of journalists to share coverage and pool resources, ensuring that the public receives information about the president’s activities even when not all outlets can attend.
Fox News, typically viewed as more sympathetic to Trump, joined its competitors in the boycott. That unity has been highlighted by critics of the administration as evidence that the exclusion is seen as beyond normal partisan disputes. “You’ve got the five networks that constitute the principal White House TV pools,” Hostin noted, listing ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, and Fox News. “I’m very proud of this network.”
The White House has not indicated whether it will reconsider its decision. For now, the standoff continues, with the press pool holding firm and the administration facing questions about what it hopes to achieve by limiting access to a subset of outlets.
Monday’s segment underscored the ongoing tension between the Trump White House and the mainstream press. As Haines put it, the free press “is actually what ensures a nation stays free”—a sentiment that Hostin and her colleagues made clear they believe is under threat.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2026/09/21/abcs-hostin-trump-media-ban-is-what-happens-with-dictators/