The White House has excluded CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One for President Donald Trump’s planned trip to Tennessee, marking another development in the administration’s ongoing dispute with major news organizations.
CNN had been scheduled to accompany Trump on Saturday for a college football game. However, the network was not included in the White House’s guidance to the press corps about the trip.
CNN Left Out of Presidential Travel Pool
CNN is part of the television press pool that shares coverage responsibilities for presidential events. Excluding the network from the Air Force One trip prevents it from carrying out its scheduled pool duties for that assignment.
The development follows the administration’s earlier decision to bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds. The three outlets challenged the restrictions in court.
Judge Previously Ordered Access Restored
A federal judge recently ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access to journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico. The outlets subsequently regained access to the White House, although disputes over individual assignments have continued.
The latest Air Force One decision therefore comes shortly after that court order and adds another point of dispute between the administration and news organizations.
Wider Fight Over Presidential Press Access
The conflict has also affected the broader television press pool. Major networks temporarily suspended pooled television coverage of Trump’s White House events after CNN, MS NOW and Politico were excluded. Coverage resumed on Friday following the court ruling.
The White House has maintained that press access is subject to its rules, while the affected news organizations have argued that selective restrictions based on coverage raise First Amendment concerns. The legal dispute remains ongoing.
