One America News Network, a far-right outlet and one of Donald Trump’s favorite cable news channels, has been removed from the White House press briefing rotation after a Wednesday night correspondents’ association vote. While OANN has aired some of the most batshit coronavirus stories—including promoting an unfounded Twitter theory that claims COVID-19 is a bioweapon hatched, in part, by the White House’s Dr. Anthony Fauci—its coverage isn’t what triggered the move. In a note to members, the White House Correspondents’ Association board explained their move to “restrict seating” to comply with the Centers for Disease Control’s social-distancing guidelines, and that an OANN reporter “twice attended press briefings in contravention” of this policy.

WHCA president Jonathan Karl told CNN earlier Wednesday that he made it clear that reporters “cannot be in the briefing room” if they aren’t given a seat. “So a reporter standing in the back who does not have a seat on that day,” as OANN’s Chanel Rion did both Tuesday and Wednesday, “is violating those rules and putting the health of the press corps in danger.” CNN reported that Rion, who was called on at the Wednesday briefing by Trump, defended remaining in the back of the press room by identifying herself as a “guest” of White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham, despite the fact that seating assignments fall under the discretion of the WHCA. Grisham declined to provide a statement to CNN.

OANN’s presence at the briefings has frequently sparked controversy. In a viral incident last month, Rion, who once accused Democrats of participating in ritual cannibalism, claimed that late DNC staffer Seth Rich was gunned down at the behest of the Clintons, and called on “armed Americans” to stage an insurrection against liberals, flacked for Trump’s description of COVID-19 as “the Chinese virus” by asking whether the phrase “Chinese food” is “racist.” Just over two weeks ago, she aired a segment titled, “Exposing China’s Coronavirus: The Fears, the Lies and the Unknown.” Rion backed her story by citing a “citizen investigator,” who claimed in a lengthy Twitter thread that the pandemic was hatched in a North Carolina lab with funding from Fauci, whose willingness to call out Trump’s coronavirus disinformation has simultaneously made him the White House task force darling, and persona non grata in pro-Trump media.

It appears that the San Diego–based network, despite being a relatively small operation, is often granted White House access because it fills an important role in the president’s media diet: when he’s upset with Fox News coverage he deems insufficiently supportive, he has OANN to fall back on. Weeks prior to Shep Smith’s abrupt exit from Fox News, Trump indicated that the anchor’s show, which often fact-checked the administration, is why he changed channels. “Watching Fake News CNN is better than watching Shepard Smith, the lowest rated show on @FoxNews,” he tweeted. “Actually, whenever possible, I turn to @OANN!” (Trump’s most recent clash with Fox News came on Wednesday, when he asked Fox’s John Roberts, “What, are you working for CNN?” after the correspondent inquired about the National Security Council’s cuts to its pandemic response team.) In the past, OANN has played into the rivalry; when Fox sided with the rest of the press in protesting Jim Acosta’s ban from the White House, OANN CEO Robert Herring tweeted, “Can’t believe Fox is on the other side, but they have direct communication to the President.”