Trump excludes CNN from presidential trip

US President Trump is reigniting his dispute with the US media. He refuses to allow CNN to accompany him on a trip to the state of Tennessee. According to the television station, there was no reason for the exclusion.

It would have been CNN's turn to film the trip as a representative of the so-called TV pool. Five major American television channels take turns reporting on the US President every day. The pool representatives usually travel with the president and usually have direct access to his appearances. For Saturday, Trump-friendly pillow entrepreneur Mike Lindell's online channel Lindell TV is now listed as representing the pool.

Dispute over access to the White House

Just over a week ago, Trump blocked access to the White House for several media outlets whose reporting he did not approve of - including CNN and MS Now as well as journalistic representatives from the website Politico. A judge then issued an injunction ordering media representatives to have access to the White House again.

Taken literally, the judge only ordered that the three media outlets' access passes to the White House be restored, legal expert Eli Honig told CNN. However, one could argue that disinviting CNN from the trip as a reporter for the TV pool "violated the spirit" of the judge's order, he pointed out. He assumes that CNN lawyers will be allowed to contact the court again.

In solidarity with the excluded media, four other broadcasters temporarily refused to film Trump's appointments. There were therefore fewer video recordings of Trump than usual - for example during President Xi Jinping's state visit from China.

Observers see Trump's actions as an attack on press freedom and an attempt at intimidation.