The White House did not include CNN on Air Force One for President Donald Trump's trip to a college football game in Tennessee on Saturday. This decision follows ongoing media restrictions from the administration, raising concerns regarding First Amendment rights. CNN, part of the U.S. network video pool that shares coverage of the president, reported it was scheduled to fly with Trump for the game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas. However, White House guidance issued on Friday night included Real America's Voice, a conservative outlet, instead.
The guidance came after a ruling from U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly, who temporarily lifted a ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House grounds. The ruling addressed access to the White House but did not specifically mention pool duties or Air Force One. The spot typically reserved for CNN was not filled by a member of the U.S. network video pool, as Real America's Voice is not part of that group. The White House did not respond to requests for comment from the Associated Press regarding this decision.
A written pool report confirmed that there was no TV pool for the travel, while Real America's Voice expressed its excitement about its inclusion, stating it would provide feeds to other news outlets. Correspondent Taylor Mitchell from Real America's Voice remarked, "CNN is not here; we have taken over that responsibility. We are so excited to be here."
On social media, President Trump commented on the media's role, stating, "FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!! IT HAS GONE ON FAR TOO LONG, AT A TREMENDOUS COST TO OUR COUNTRY."
Fans at the game witnessed a low-altitude flyover of Air Force One, and the president arrived as the national anthem was being sung, receiving cheers from the crowd, according to a text pool report. Theodore Boutrous Jr., an attorney representing CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, did not respond to inquiries regarding the situation. Earlier, Boutrous had indicated that the plaintiffs believed the recent court ruling also applied to pool access.
The U.S. network video pool had resumed operations for the first time since Trump banned the three news outlets. During this time, CNN aired footage of Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping touring the National Archives, despite not having broadcast live video of Trump for several days. A source familiar with the pool indicated that operations were back to normal.
The White House Correspondents' Association, which established the press pool decades ago to ensure a rotating group of journalists travels with the president, did not respond to requests for comment. The association's goal is to provide accountability for the nation's chief executive on behalf of the public.