The White House blocked CNN from a scheduled Air Force One trip to Tennessee.
Why it matters: The move deepens a press-access fight between the Trump White House and major news outlets. It raises fresh questions about how reporters cover the president when access is restricted.
- The block came on Sept. 25, 2026, ahead of a Saturday trip to Knoxville, Tennessee.
- Trump was expected to attend a college football game on the trip.
- CNN said it had been scheduled to join the White House press pool, which typically covers Air Force One travel.
- The exclusion comes after Trump said on Sept. 18 he was banning CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House.
The White House blocked CNN from traveling with President Donald Trump aboard Air Force One for a scheduled Saturday trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, according to The Washington Post.
CNN said it had been slated to cover the trip as part of the White House press pool, which traditionally includes Air Force One travel and other presidential movements, The Guardian reported.
The restriction is the latest step in a broader confrontation between the White House and CNN, MS NOW and Politico that began after Trump announced on Sept. 18 that he was banning those outlets from the White House over coverage he described as fake news, according to AP.
By Sept. 19, reporters from the three outlets were being denied entry to White House grounds, AP reported.
The White House defended the broader ban by saying access is a privilege, not a right. In an official statement, it said the First Amendment protects publication but does not entitle outlets to pool access or hard passes. The administration has also clashed with the Associated Press over access, including a February 2025 move barring AP journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One and other limited-access events.
By the numbers
- Sept. 25, 2026 - date the White House blocked CNN from the Air Force One trip.
- Sept. 18, 2026 - date Trump announced the broader ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico.
- Sept. 19, 2026 - date reporters from those outlets were denied entry to White House grounds.
Yes, but: The dossier does not say whether the White House issued a formal explanation specifically for excluding CNN from this flight or which outlet, if any, replaced it in the pool.
What's next: The dossier does not identify any next deadline or scheduled court action tied specifically to the Air Force One exclusion.