Trump Criticizes Reporter and Media Outlets Before Departure to Tennessee

President Donald Trump responded to a reporter on September 26, 2026, before boarding Air Force One for a college football game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas. Trump stated, "I want real news, not fake news, like you," when asked about his preferences for media coverage. He expressed his desire for an open press but criticized CNN and other outlets for what he described as fake news. Trump claimed that these outlets had not reported positively on him and mentioned that he won the election in a landslide. His remarks followed CNN's exclusion from a list of approved press outlets for the trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. This exclusion was part of Trump's ongoing efforts to ban CNN, MS Now, and Politico from White House access, which he announced on September 18, citing their reporting as fake news. The banned outlets were denied access to the White House on September 19 and subsequently filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, claiming the ban violated the First Amendment. In response to Trump's actions, the White House TV press pool announced a boycott of coverage of Trump. On September 21, major networks including ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox News stated they would not cover Trump due to the ban. A federal judge later ordered the administration to lift the ban for two weeks, allowing the press pool to resume coverage, although CNN and MS Now reporters remained barred from certain events, including a state dinner. Amid these tensions, Trump announced the launch of his own media channel, Trump TV, which can be streamed 24/7.