Pope Leo XIV affirms need for media when asked about Trump ban at White House

A CNN reporter asked Leo about the ban as he traveled to France for a four-day visit. Leo said good media coverage matters, and it has to apply "all the way around, for everyone."

"I am very happy that here, you are all welcome," he told the press pool. The comment came just a day after CNN, MS NOW and Politico regained access to the White House when a judge granted them a reprieve from the administration's restrictions.

Leo's remarks put him squarely in a fight over press access that has played out in Washington courtrooms and briefing rooms for weeks. Reporters barred from the White House found themselves welcomed onto a papal flight instead, a contrast Leo seemed to draw on purpose.

For journalists shut out of one of the most powerful buildings in the world, an invitation from the pope carried its own kind of weight.