American news broadcaster CNN was barred from boarding Air Force One for a planned trip with President Donald Trump on Saturday, according to information released by the network. CNN was scheduled to accompany the president to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he was expected to attend a college football game.
As the designated representative of the television press pool for the weekend, CNN was set to cover the president’s activities and share video and information with the four other major networks involved in the pool. However, officials replaced CNN with Real America’s Voice News, a conservative news outlet known for favorable coverage of the president.
Ongoing Disputes Between Trump Administration and Media Organizations
This incident is the latest in a series of confrontations between the Trump administration and news organizations that the president has criticized for their coverage. Earlier in the week, the president barred CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House, accusing these networks of reporting what he described as “fiction and lies.” Following this action, major television networks, including Deutsche Welle, ceased their pooled coverage of the president in a show of solidarity.
Legal Developments and Limitations on Access
A federal judge issued a temporary ruling on Thursday that struck down the ban on CNN, MSNBC, and Politico from the White House after the outlets filed a lawsuit challenging the restrictions. However, the judge’s order addressed only “hard passes” granting access to White House grounds and did not specifically address pool duties such as travel on Air Force One.






