CNN barred from Trump trip aboard Air Force One

CNN has been blocked from travelling with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One for his Saturday trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, just days after a federal judge ordered the administration to restore the network’s White House access.

Two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that CNN was excluded from the presidential flight. CNN had been scheduled to accompany Trump to Tennessee, where he is due to attend a college football game. The network said on Friday that it was expected to travel with the president.

The decision has also raised fresh questions over the future of the White House television pool, which briefly resumed its normal coverage on Friday. The pool is made up of rotating journalists who travel with the president and provide written and multimedia coverage to news organisations that may not have reporters present at every presidential event. Since the start of Trump’s second administration in 2025, the White House has determined which outlets participate in the pool. Previously, the White House Correspondents’ Association coordinated the rotation.

Fresh dispute follows court order

CNN’s exclusion from Air Force One comes less than a week after Trump’s administration was ordered to restore White House access to CNN, MS Now and Politico. The three news organisations had challenged the administration’s decision to revoke their access, arguing that the move violated the First Amendment.

The dispute began after the White House removed access for the outlets, citing their reporting about Trump’s presidency. Trump has repeatedly criticised what he calls the “fake news”. The decision triggered a protest from members of the White House press pool, who temporarily suspended their video coverage of Trump.

In a joint statement issued on Monday, the White House television pool said the public had a “vital interest” in receiving accurate and independent information about the government. “No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” the pool said.

The administration’s lawyers, meanwhile, argued in court that the restrictions were connected to national security concerns, citing media reports that involved “sensitive” and “classified” information. US District Judge Timothy Kelly subsequently ordered the Trump administration to restore White House access for CNN, MS Now and Politico. The outlets’ journalists attempted to enter the White House on Thursday morning following the ruling but were not admitted until around midday. Later that day, CNN’s editorial team and an MS Now reporter were prevented from covering a state dinner held to commemorate Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit.