CNN Excluded From Air Force One for Trump's Tennessee Trip

The White House barred CNN from traveling on Air Force One for President Donald Trump's trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday, opting instead to include the conservative outlet Real America's Voice News. This decision represents the latest in a series of media restrictions imposed by the administration.

Trump was scheduled to attend a college football game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas. The exclusion of CNN from the presidential aircraft occurred shortly after journalists from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—news organizations previously banned from the White House grounds—were permitted to return to the executive complex.

This situation follows a temporary court ruling that struck down the ban on these outlets entering the White House. However, the judge's order did not directly address access to the presidential pool, which includes media representatives who travel with the president.

The U.S. network video pool, comprised of five major U.S. broadcast outlets that rotate shooting and sharing video, had resumed operations earlier on Friday. This marked the first time the pool was functional since the White House banned CNN, MS NOW, and Politico. The other four pool providers had initially refrained from participating in solidarity after CNN was excluded from White House grounds.

The spot on Air Force One typically reserved for a member of the U.S. network video pool was given to Real America's Voice News for this trip. CNN has not issued a direct comment but referred to its editorial coverage. Brian Stelter, the network's media analyst, noted on X that CNN had been assigned a pool presence at a prior White House event and that its credentials had been approved.