White House excludes CNN from Trump's Air Force One flight to Tennessee

CNN has been dropped from the list of outlets travelling with President Donald Trump on Air Force One for his Saturday trip to Tennessee, according to a schedule released by the White House on Friday night. The broadcaster had originally been set to cover the visit, which centres on a college American football game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, kicking off at midday. No other outlet was added in CNN's place on the tentative schedule.

The snub is the latest development in an escalating dispute between the administration and the press. Last week, Trump banned journalists from CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, accusing them of publishing "fiction or lies" about his administration. All three outlets said they would pursue legal action, arguing the move violated their constitutional rights to free speech and a free press.

Networks paused coverage in solidarity

Four television networks that share a daily rotation covering the White House alongside CNN — ABC, CBS, Fox News and NBC — temporarily halted their broadcasts of the president in solidarity with the banned outlets. The White House subsequently launched its own streaming channel, Trump TV, ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

A federal judge has since ruled that excluding the news outlets from the White House was likely unconstitutional, ordering the administration to restore their access, at least for now. Despite that ruling, some CNN and MS NOW reporters assigned to cover arrivals for Thursday's state dinner honouring Chinese leader Xi Jinping were still denied entry.

A White House communications account posted on X that, contrary to what it called "Fake News" claims, outlets do not have unrestricted access to every part of the White House, every event, or every press call. Regular television coverage resumed on Friday after officials allowed reporters back in.