The White House blocked CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One on Saturday, disrupting the network’s TV press pool duties in the latest escalation of the administration’s conflict with the press.
CNN had been scheduled to fly with Donald Trump to Tennessee for a college football game. The White House confirmed the exclusion by omitting the network from the schedule guidance sent to the press corps.
The Washington Post first reported CNN’s exclusion from Air Force One. The White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
This follows an incident a week earlier when Trump, a vocal critic of the “fake news media”, revoked White House access for CNN, MS Now, and Politico over unfavorable coverage.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, vowing to take similar action against other outlets.
The move prompted swift backlash from the White House press pool, which suspended video coverage of Trump in protest.
The press pool is a rotating group of journalists responsible for covering presidential travel and sharing reports with outlets unable to attend events. Since the start of Trump’s second administration in 2025, the White House has selected daily pool members, a duty previously handled by the White House Correspondents’ Association.
In a joint statement, the White House television pool stated: “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting.”
In a subsequent lawsuit, CNN, MS Now, and Politico argued the ban violated the First Amendment.
The Department of Justice argued the ban was in the interest of national security, citing reports involving “sensitive” and “classified” information.
US District Judge Timothy Kelly sided with the outlets, ordering the administration to restore their access.
CNN, MS Now, and Politico journalists sought entry to the White House on Thursday morning but were not granted access until midday.
Hours later, CNN’s editorial team and an MS Now reporter were blocked from covering the state dinner for Chinese President Xi Jinping.
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