CNN has been excluded from the White House television pool for Donald Trump’s weekend trip to Knoxville, Tennessee, in the latest escalation of the administration’s dispute with the news media.
The broadcaster had been due to fly aboard Air Force One for the president’s visit to a college football game. However, a White House press schedule issued on Friday omitted CNN and listed conservative outlet Real America’s Voice News in its place.
The development followed the return of journalists from CNN, MS NOW and Politico to the White House grounds, after a judge temporarily struck down the administration’s ban on the three outlets in an overnight ruling early on Thursday.
That order referred to access to the White House grounds but did not directly address the presidential aircraft or the television pool. The three organisations’ reporters were allowed back into the executive complex with cameras, laptops and microphones, while the pool itself remained a point of contention.
The US network video pool consists of five major broadcasters that take turns filming events and sharing footage. The other four providers had declined to participate after CNN, one of the pool members, was barred from the White House grounds.
For a period on Friday, the pool appeared to resume operations. CNN aired live footage of Mr Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping touring the National Archives, alongside Melania Trump and Peng Liyuan, Xi’s wife.
“As of now, all systems are go,” said a person familiar with the pool, speaking anonymously because of the fluidity of the situation.
Brian Stelter, CNN’s media analyst, said on X that the network had been assigned to cover the National Archives event and that the White House had approved its credentials. CNN did not otherwise comment directly, instead referring to its editorial coverage.
Theodore Boutrous Jr, the lawyer representing the news organisations, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
