# White House Bars CNN From Air Force One Despite Court Order

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/white-house-bars-cnn-from-air-force-one-despite-court-order
- Published: 2026-09-26T07:12:45.130313+00:00
- Topics: press-freedom, trump-administration, cnn, first-amendment, media

## What the left says
- Excluding CNN from Air Force One hours after a federal judge ordered the White House to restore banned outlets' access shows the administration disregarding a court ruling in substance while technically complying with its narrow terms.
- The judge's order addressed White House hard passes but the spirit of the ruling was to protect journalists from retaliatory exclusion based on viewpoint, and swapping in a friendly conservative outlet like Real America's Voice News undermines that principle.
- The rotating press pool system has functioned for decades specifically to ensure independent documentation of the presidency regardless of which outlet is covering, and singling out CNN breaks a longstanding nonpartisan tradition.
- Legal experts and CNN's own analysts argue this move likely violates due process and First Amendment protections, setting up further litigation and demonstrating a pattern of retaliation against unfavorable coverage.

## What the right says
- The White House maintains it is not obligated to grant every outlet unlimited access to every event, and Air Force One pool participation involves logistics and discretion that go beyond the specific court order about White House hard passes.
- Trump and his administration argue CNN has produced biased or false coverage of his administration, and the president has the prerogative to choose which outlets accompany him on discretionary trips like this one.
- The court's temporary restraining order specifically addressed credentialed access to the White House grounds, not pool assignments for presidential travel, so replacing CNN with another network does not necessarily violate the ruling.
- Conservative commentators note CNN has previously acknowledged discrepancies in its own claims of being denied access, suggesting some reporting on these restrictions has been exaggerated for effect.

## Common ground
- CNN was excluded from the Air Force One press pool for Trump's Saturday trip to Tennessee, with Real America's Voice News reportedly filling its spot.
- A federal judge, Trump appointee Timothy J. Kelly, ruled earlier in the week that the administration's ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico likely violated the Fifth Amendment and ordered their access restored for 14 days.
- The judge's order specifically addressed White House hard passes and did not explicitly rule on pool duties or Air Force One travel, creating ambiguity over whether the new exclusion violates the order.
- This dispute is part of an ongoing legal and political conflict between the Trump administration and several media outlets over press access, with further litigation expected.

## Sources
- [BBC News](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cxq633770y16o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss) (Center)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/24/cnn-white-house-ms-politico-access) (Lean Left)
- [New York Times](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/25/business/media/white-house-cnn-air-force-one-ban.html) (Lean Left)
- [NPR](https://www.npr.org/2026/09/26/g-s1-145142/cnn-left-off-air-force-one) (Lean Left)
- [Newsweek](https://www.newsweek.com/cnn-says-its-banned-from-covering-trumps-tennessee-trip-what-we-know-12492141) (Lean Right)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/beccalower/2026/09/25/cnn-quietly-admits-they-were-not-kept-from-covering-trump-xi-dinner-here-were-their-demands-n2207391) (Unknown)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/media/6111575-major-networks-back-white-house-pool/) (Center)
- [Axios](https://www.axios.com/2026/09/24/white-house-press-ban-court-order) (Lean Left)
- [Newsmax](https://www.newsmax.com/politics/white-house-news-media-press-corps/2026/09/25/id/1270743) (Right)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/newsletters/1230-report/6111730-donald-trump-white-house-pool-comeback-xi-jinping-summit-midterms-economy/) (Center)

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