Trump's Press Pool Fight and $810 Million Funding Cut Explained
President Donald Trump is fighting with part of the White House press corps while trying to cancel $810 million in health and education spending approved by Congress.
Both stories led NPR's Politics Chat on Weekend Edition Sunday, reported by Ayesha Rascoe and Mara Liasson. The segment was published Sept. 27, 2026, at 8:06 a.m. ET NPR.
The press dispute is about the White House press pool BBC. CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC agreed to suspend pooled coverage of Trump NYT. In a pool, a small group reports for all outlets. A suspension stops that shared feed.
The suspension followed bans on individual outlets. CNN, MS NOW and Politico sued the Trump administration over loss of White House access PBS. The administration later followed a judge's order to restore access to the three banned outlets Reuters. The order did not end the case.
On spending, the White House said Friday it planned to cut $810 million in approved funds NBC. The money was bipartisan funding for health and education approved by Congress. Lawmakers from both parties criticized the plan, according to the NBC report.
Trump used a "pocket rescission" to try to cancel the $810 million TIME. A rescission asks Congress to cancel money it already approved. A pocket rescission sends that request late in the budget year, leaving Congress little time to act before the money lapses — like sending a cancellation at closing time.
This September 2026 try was the second in two years by the White House to cancel funding approved by lawmakers NYT. Hill staff are using the earlier request to read the new $810 million proposal.
The broader context here is who controls the next step. For appropriators, the question is whether approval by Congress holds if a president can run out the clock. For the press corps, a pool boycott can pressure the White House, but it also means less independent reporting from inside the building.
In my view, watch the courts and the calendar separately. The access fight will turn on orders and compliance, not statements. The funding fight will turn on deadlines and whether Congress acts before the money lapses. Both test whether institutional checks work when challenged at once.
