White House bans CNN from Air Force One for Trump trip to Tennessee

CNN reporters have been banned from flying with Donald Trump on Air Force One for his upcoming trip to Tennessee, despite a judge’s order restoring their access to the White House after being previously banned.

The White House announced in a Friday night note that CNN will not be allowed on Air Force One when Trump flies to Knoxville for a college football game, leaving major networks unable to televise his trip.

Despite being allowed to cover some events, CNN reporters were stopped from covering Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House for a state dinner, raising concerns about continued access to daily events.

The White House has banned CNN reporters from flying with Donald Trump on Air Force One for his upcoming trip to Tennessee , the network says.

Despite a judge's order restoring CNN's access to the White House after Trump banned the network , along with MS NOW and Politico, from covering his daily activities, reporters are still being denied entry to certain events.

In the latest roadblock, the White House announced in a Friday night note detailing the president's schedule that CNN will not be allowed on Air Force One when Trump flies to Knoxville on Saturday for a college football game, the network reported .

CNN is part of a rotating press pool that covers White House events for major TV networks. No other outlet was listed to replace CNN in the memo, according to the network. Without a designated pooler, major networks won't be able to televise his trip.

The network's journalists were also stopped by a press wrangler when they tried to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival at the White House for a state dinner Thursday night, the network reported .

The White House reportedly told CNN shortly before the event that it could cover the greeting ceremony but only with a photojournalist and audio technician, despite other networks being allowed to bring reporters and producers.

MS NOW also reported being blocked from the greeting ceremony. "The big question is — is this going to continue? Are we not going to be credentialed into these daily events?" MS NOW White House reporter Laura Barrón-López asked network host Symone Sanders Townsend Thursday night.

But CNN was allowed to cover Trump and Xi's visit to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., on Friday.

The Independent has reached out to the White House and CNN for comment about the network's coverage of Trump's Knoxville trip.

Coverage of the White House has been spotty ever since Trump banned the three networks last Friday, calling them "fake news."

"Media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America," the president wrote on Truth Social.

The outlets then sued to regain access to the White House, arguing the ban violated their First Amendment rights.

In an early morning ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate the outlets' press badges.

But reporters were still denied entry later Thursday morning. By Thursday afternoon, reporters regained access to the White House.

The White House TV press pool had abstained from filming in solidarity with the outlets Trump banned until their access was reinstated. CBS served as the designated pooler Friday, filming Xi and Trump at the White House during the final day of his state visit .

Trump's disdain for the mainstream press is well-documented, including his outbursts at female journalists for asking questions about the Epstein files and the Iran war. He has repeatedly targeted CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Kaitlan Collins for "not smiling."

But his attempt to ban several major outlets from the White House is unprecedented.

Former President Bill Clinton — who had an affair with a young staffer, Monica Lewinsky , in the 1990s that dominated the news cycle — said at the Clinton Global Initiative summit earlier this week, "There were lots of times when I wanted to ban the White House press corps.

"And there's a reason we have a Constitution. Because none of us are immune from being pissed off."