Pope Leo XIV backs press freedom after being asked about Trump media ban

Pope Leo XIV on Friday reaffirmed the importance of press freedom when asked about the Trump administration's decision to bar CNN and other media outlets from the White House.

Pope Leo XIV on Friday reaffirmed the importance of press freedom when asked about the Trump administration’s decision to bar CNN and other media outlets from the White House.

Leo spoke to reporters aboard his plane as he travelled from Rome to Paris at the start of a four-day visit to France. Asked by a CNN reporter about the White House’s restrictions, the pope said journalists were welcome to cover him.

“I am very happy that here, you are all welcome,” he said. “With coverage, I think it’s very important that we have it all the way around for everyone.”

Leo did not refer directly to President Donald Trump in his response, but stressed the importance of media coverage.

The question came amid a dispute between the Trump administration and three media organizations — CNN, MS NOW and Politico — after Trump announced that the outlets would be barred from the White House. Trump accused the outlets of publishing what he described as “fake news.”

The three outlets subsequently sued the administration, arguing that the restrictions violated their constitutional rights. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the administration to restore their access to the White House.

The journalists were allowed back onto the White House grounds on Thursday, although CNN and MS NOW later said their reporters were denied access to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival for a state dinner.

The dispute also disrupted the White House television press pool. No major U.S. television network provided live coverage of Xi’s arrival, after the other networks declined to participate in the pool in solidarity with CNN.