White House Bars CNN From Air Force One for President Trump’s Tennessee Trip
The White House has barred CNN from flying on Air Force One to cover President Trump's trip to Tennessee. This action means there will be no television pool coverage of the trip, as CNN was scheduled to fulfill this role…
Santa Barbara Santa Maria San Luis Obispo, CA, September 25, 2026 — The White House has prevented CNN from participating in President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Tennessee, barring the news network from flying aboard Air Force One.
This decision has significant implications for media access, as it means there will be no television pool coverage for the President’s visit to Tennessee. CNN was slated to serve as the designated television pooler for the trip, a role that typically involves documenting events on behalf of multiple major television networks.
The television pool system is designed to ensure that news from presidential travel is broadly accessible. Under this system, designated journalists from specific outlets travel with the President and share their reporting, including video and still images, with the wider press corps. CNN’s exclusion from Air Force One means this established process will not be followed for the Tennessee trip.
The specific reasons or criteria leading to CNN’s exclusion were not immediately provided. The White House has not issued a detailed statement explaining the decision regarding CNN’s access to Air Force One for this particular presidential trip.
With CNN unable to fulfill its pool duties, major television networks will not have their scheduled coverage of the President’s activities in Tennessee through the standard Air Force One pool arrangement. Further details regarding alternative coverage plans, if any, were not immediately available.
Story summarized from the original created by CNN on keyt.com, see more information here.
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