CNN barred from Air Force One trip with Trump, replaced by conservative network
Quick Look
- CNN journalists were denied access to Air Force One for a planned trip with President Donald Trump to Knoxville, Tennessee, and replaced by Real America's Voice News.
- The incident follows Trump's earlier banning of CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House over alleged unfavorable coverage, which a federal judge temporarily struck down on Thursday.
- The judge's ruling did not cover press pool duties, leaving the Air Force One restriction in place.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
CNN was scheduled to represent the TV press pool for the weekend, covering President Trump and sharing video and information with the other four major networks in the pool. This followed Trump's earlier banning of CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House after he accused them of reporting 'fiction and lies.' A federal judge temporarily struck down that ban on Thursday, but the ruling only applied to 'hard passes' for White House grounds, not press pool duties like Air Force One travel.
American news broadcaster CNN said its journalists were not allowed to board Air Force One for a planned trip with President Donald Trump on Saturday.
CNN was scheduled to travel on Air Force One to Knoxville, Tennessee, where Trump was expected to watch a college football game.
The news organization was to be the representative of the TV press pool for the weekend, meaning that it would cover the president and share video and information with the four other big networks that are part of the press pool.
CNN was replaced by Real America's Voice News, a conservative network, the Associated Press reported.
The episode represents the latest showdown between the Trump administration and media networks that the president believes to be unfavorable in their coverage.
Trump bans CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from White House
Trump earlier this week barred CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House after he said the networks report "fiction and lies."
Major TV networks, including DW, then cut off their pooled coverage of the president in solidarity.
A federal judge temporarily struck down the ban in a ruling on Thursday after the outlets filed a lawsuit.
But the order from the judge addressed "hard passes" to the White House grounds and didn't directly address pool duties.
Edited by: Rana Taha
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
Other major networks may reconsider their participation in the TV press pool if CNN's exclusion continues.
Possible · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Will the federal judge's ruling be extended to cover press pool duties such as Air Force One access?
- How will other networks in the press pool respond to CNN's replacement by Real America's Voice News?
- What specific criteria is the Trump administration using to determine which media outlets are allowed to cover the president?
- Is Real America's Voice News now the permanent replacement for CNN in the TV press pool?
