White House press pool protests CNN debate rules banning reporters from debate hall

The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) has urged CNN to allow print reporters from the WHCA to go inside the debate hall where Donald Trump and Joe Biden will face off on Thursday evening. Some White House print reporters will be allowed in on commercial breaks, but not during the debate itself.  

According to a report from Deadline, the network is allowing some still photographers in the studio when the debate is in process. White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) President Kelly O’Donnell said that prohibiting print media from being in the room on Thursday during the debate "diminishes a core principle of presidential coverage.”  

“The White House pool has a duty to document, report and witness the president’s events and his movements on behalf of the American people,” O’Donnell wrote about the debate. "WHCA respectfully requests that CNN adjust its plan and welcome the White House travel pool print representative to witness the debate in full for the sake of the news cycle, for history and mostly importantly for the American people.” 

Adding to her concerns, O’Donnell also wrote, "Tonight’s debate will have no audience present and includes format rules that can silence candidates’ microphones. We don’t know how this will play out in real time. A pool reporter is there to observe what is said and done when microphones are off or when either candidate is not seen on camera but may speak, gesture, move, or engage in some way. WHCA believes this principle of coverage matters. The White House travel pool has been included in past presidential debates and we believe that standard of access is essential." 

CNN declined to comment on the matter when Deadline reached out.

Rules for the debate include that candidate's microphones will be cut when it is either the end of their allotted time to speak or not their turn. If one of the candidates were to say something to interrupt one another, this would not be audible to viewers during the debate.  

Reporter Sara Higdon will be covering the debate from the spin room for The Post Millennial. 

CNN has also threatened YouTube channels that provide commentary on the Trump-Biden debate, telling them they don't have permission to live stream the debate on their channels. The debate will have no audience and will be moderated by Jake Tapper and Dana Bash and will last for 90 minutes and have two commercial breaks, bucking usual tradition where candidates debate the entire time.