Trump blocks CNN from traveling on Air Force One

In President Donald Trump 's latest move to restrict certain news outlets' access, CNN was not permitted to join the president on Air Force One on Saturday, Sept. 26, as he traveled to a football game at the University of Tennessee.

"I want real news. I love an open, free press," Trump said Saturday morning to reporters when asked about the decision to bar CNN. "What I don't like is the fake press, where a group like CNN, with few people watching, or MSDNC," the name that he calls MS NOW, formerly MSNBC.

CNN anchor Anderson Cooper announced the news about the Air Force One decision on his show Friday night. CNN was slated to cover Trump on Saturday on behalf of the television pool – where ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and FOX take turns covering Trump and sharing camera feeds with the other networks. CNN White House correspondent Alayna Treene explained to Cooper that the White House's guidance for the next day was released and that CNN was not included on the list of outlets traveling with Trump.

"The White House is barring CNN from flying on Air Force One on Saturday as part of the news outlet's duties covering the president on behalf of major television networks," CNN Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins said in a post on X.

Networks halt White House pool after Trump bars outlets

A CNN broadcast tent sits vacant at the White House grounds after US President Donald Trump banned three major news outlets, CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House, in Washington, DC. on Sept. 21, 2026. Major television networks suspended their White House pool coverage and will no longer send camera crews to cover President Donald Trump's pool events, standing in solidarity with CNN after Trump denied White House access to reporters of three outlets. The move from the five networks that make up the television pool ‒ ABC, CBS, NBC and Fox News, in addition to CNN ‒ means a broadcast television feed that is distributed widely for media won't be carried for most of Trump's events.

The latest action comes amid a legal dispute after the president attempted to block three news outlets – CNN, MS NOW and Politico – from the White House. Here's the timeline:

Sept. 18: Trump announced on Truth Social that the three networks were banned from the White House .

Sept. 19: Journalists from those outlets attempted to enter the White House but were denied entry, and their press credential were taken by Secret Service.

Sept. 21: The networks filed a lawsuit against Trump and three White House officials.

Sept. 23: On the first day of Trump's U.S.-China Summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the primary television pool did not cover the president as they stood in solidarity with CNN. Chinese state media and other non-television American outlets did cover the summit.

Sept. 24: Shortly after midnight, a U.S. federal judge ordered that the ban be lifted for two weeks .

Sept. 24: Shortly after noon, journalists from those networks were able to access White House grounds and recover their confiscated passes.

Sept. 25: Television pool cameras covered the second day of Trump and Xi's summit, including a trip to the National Archives to show off documents , including the Constitution, which establishes a free press in its First Amendment.

Sept. 25: The White House releases travel guidance for Saturday, Sept. 26, that does not include CNN.

Trump spent his morning doubling down on his ban, saying in a Truth Social post that "FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! IT HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG, AT A TREMENDOUS COST TO OUR COUNTRY."

"Why should perpetrators of FAKE NEWS, like CNN and MSDNC, be allowed access to a very sacred place, the White House? Despite my big Election Win, almost 100% of "TRUMP" coverage is negative, and has been for years," Trump said in a second Sept. 26 post .