Trump Shuts Down CNN on Air Force One, Re‑Unleashes Airborne Ban

On Saturday, the White House pulled CNN from the Air Force One flight that was carrying President Donald Trump on a trip to Tennessee. The decision was announced by a CNN spokesperson, who confirmed that the network had been removed from its scheduled rotation covering the president's itinerary.

The move follows a recent ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House grounds.

Last week, Trump issued a ban that barred the three media outlets from the White House complex. A federal judge later ruled that the ban violated due process rights and ordered credentials reinstated on Thursday. The court did not address the White House's separate action of pulling CNN from the television pool rotation.

When Trump banned the outlets, the White House also removed CNN from its TV pool rotation on Sunday. The other four networks—CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox—refused to fill the vacancy, leaving most of the week without live video from the White House. Television coverage resumed earlier on Friday when CNN's credentials were restored.

## Background & Context

The ban of CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House grounds began last week when President Trump declared the outlets untrustworthy.

A federal judge found the ban violated due process rights and ordered the networks' credentials be reinstated on Thursday, but he did not address the White House's separate action of pulling CNN from the television pool rotation.

The television pool is a cooperative arrangement that lets networks share live footage from presidential events. When CNN was removed, CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox declined to cover the empty slot, leaving most of the week without video images from the White House. Coverage resumed on Friday when CNN's credentials were restored.

## Current Situation

CNN has confirmed that it has been blocked from Air Force One for the current trip to Tennessee. The network had previously been removed from the presidential flight after a judge reinstated its credentials, but the White House has once again pulled it from coverage.

The decision follows a broader dispute over media access. While CBS, NBC, ABC and Fox declined to fill the vacuum left by CNN earlier in the week, the network has been reinstated to the TV pool on Friday. The latest block marks a second setback for CNN on a single trip.

The White House’s repeated restrictions on CNN underscore ongoing tensions between the administration and mainstream media outlets. For now, viewers will miss live footage from President Trump’s flight to Tennessee.