The White House has removed CNN from the press pool scheduled to accompany President Donald Trump to Knoxville, Tennessee, replacing it with conservative outlet Real America’s Voice News. This move has raised questions about the administration's power to restrict presidential media access. The decision came shortly after a federal judge temporarily restored CNN's access to the White House, alongside MS NOW and Politico, after Trump's administration barred the outlets over their coverage of him.
The exclusion of CNN from Air Force One has sparked controversy, with ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC jointly suspending White House pool coverage. The broadcasters argued that news organizations should not be punished over editorial disagreements. CNN had been scheduled as the television network in the rotating press pool accompanying Trump aboard Air Force One and providing footage to other media organizations.
The White House's latest guidance listed Real America's Voice News for the trip, leaving CNN off the presidential flight. Trump is scheduled to attend a college football game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas. The decision came days after US District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily ordered the White House to restore access to CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which had been barred from the White House after Trump accused them of providing negative coverage of his administration.
The judge's ruling addressed the outlets' White House credentials but did not specifically address access to Air Force One or presidential travel pools. Lawyers for the media organizations have argued that the ruling should also protect pool access. The dispute briefly eased on Friday when the White House television video pool resumed operations, allowing CNN to broadcast live footage of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping visiting the National Archives.
The latest move is part of a broader confrontation between Trump and US media organizations during his second term. Earlier, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC jointly suspended participation in the White House video pool after CNN was excluded. The presidential press pool is a longstanding arrangement under which journalists rotate access to the president when space is limited, sharing footage and reports with the wider press corps.
Trump has also previously restricted Associated Press journalists over the organization's refusal to adopt his preferred name, "Gulf of America," for the Gulf of Mexico. That dispute remains on appeal. The White House's decision to exclude CNN from Air Force One has renewed questions over the administration's power to restrict presidential media access.
The controversy surrounding CNN's exclusion from Air Force One highlights the ongoing tensions between the Trump administration and the US media. The issue raises concerns about the limits of presidential power and the role of the media in covering the administration's activities. The situation is likely to continue to unfold in the coming days.
Key points
- The White House has excluded CNN from the press pool traveling with President Donald Trump to Tennessee, replacing it with conservative outlet Real America’s Voice News.
- The decision has sparked controversy, with major broadcasters suspending White House pool coverage in response.
- The move is part of a broader confrontation between Trump and US media organizations during his second term.
