WASHINGTON, D.C. — The White House signaled Friday evening that CNN will be excluded from the official press pool aboard Air Force One for President Donald Trump’s upcoming Saturday trip to Knoxville, Tennessee.
According to official administration guidance, conservative outlet Real America’s Voice News has been designated to take the travel spot typically allocated to a representative of the major U.S. television network pool. The flight leads to a college football match between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas, which the president is scheduled to attend.
The latest credential restriction comes despite a federal judge granting a temporary reprieve overnight early Thursday to reporters from CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, who were previously barred from executive complex grounds.
While those journalists returned to the White House on Friday, the judge’s order specifically addressed access to the White House grounds and did not explicitly rule on press pool duties or Air Force One travel.
Lawyers for the news organizations maintained that the legal protection extends to pool functions.
Addressing the court ruling on television, plaintiff attorney Theodore Boutrous Jr. stated that the legal team believes the order covers press pool operations:
“The plaintiffs believe the recent court ruling by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly also covers the issue of pool access,” Boutrous said on The Lead with Jake Tapper.
Prior to the announcement regarding Air Force One, joint network operations had briefly resumed. The standard five-member network pool—which had previously suspended participation in solidarity with the banned outlets—broadcast live footage on Friday afternoon showing President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump alongside Chinese President Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan at the National Archives.
Commenting on the initial resumption of press operations earlier in the day, a source familiar with the pool setup noted:
“As of now, all systems are go,” the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the evolving nature of the situation.
The White House has not yet provided additional details regarding its decision to swap the network pool slot for the Tennessee flight.