# White House Swaps CNN for Trump-Friendly Outlets on Air Force One

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/white-house-swaps-cnn-for-trump-friendly-outlets-on-air-force-one
- Published: 2026-09-28T07:08:13.308811+00:00
- Topics: press-freedom, white-house, trump-administration, media, first-amendment

## What the left says
- A federal judge already ruled the White House's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico was likely unconstitutional, yet the administration found another way to sideline CNN by simply excluding it from the Air Force One pool instead of restoring grounds access alone.
- Swapping in Mike Lindell's LindellTV and Real America's Voice, both openly pro-Trump outlets, for a decades-old rotating network pool slot signals the White House is choosing coverage based on loyalty rather than journalistic function.
- This echoes the precedent set when the Obama administration was criticized for trying to exclude Fox News from the press pool in 2009, a comparison even CNN's own reporter raised, suggesting a bipartisan principle is being violated.
- The move raises First Amendment concerns because it appears designed to punish a news organization for its coverage while rewarding outlets favorable to the president, undermining the neutral, rotating pool system that ensures all Americans get independent coverage of their president.

## What the right says
- The rotating network pool has no legal entitlement to a permanent seat, and the White House has discretion over who travels on Air Force One and covers logistically constrained events.
- Judge Kelly's order addressed hard-pass access to White House grounds, not pool travel assignments, so the administration's decision to route Saturday's pool slot to Real America's Voice does not defy any court ruling.
- Ambassador Mike Waltz and other administration allies argue the traditional press corps has shown bias and pushed inaccurate narratives, such as downplaying concerns about Biden's fitness, justifying a push for what they see as more balanced coverage.
- CNN's claim that no one was covering the pool was misleading since Real America's Voice was present and offered to share its feed with other outlets, undercutting the narrative that the public was left without coverage.

## Common ground
- CNN was excluded from the Air Force One pool for Trump's Saturday trip to the Tennessee-Texas football game, with Real America's Voice taking its place.
- Judge Timothy Kelly's ruling this week temporarily struck down the White House's ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the grounds, calling it likely unconstitutional.
- The judge's order specifically addressed hard-pass access to White House grounds and did not explicitly cover Air Force One pool assignments, leaving that question legally unresolved.
- Both sides recognize the historical norm of a rotating five-network pool system and reference the 2009 Fox News controversy as a relevant precedent for evaluating fairness in press access disputes.

## Sources
- [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/cnn-air-force-one-ban-trump-networks_n_6ab74f30e4b07c8d2e68a99e) (Left)
- [HuffPost](https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-media-cnn-air-force-one_n_6ab734b9e4b0d1543f544b9a) (Left)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/cnn-says-it-was-left-off-air-force-one-for-trumps-saturday-trip-to-a-college-football-game) (Lean Left)
- [RedState](https://redstate.com/nick-arama/2026/09/27/mike-waltz-interview-on-cnn-n2207438) (Unknown)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/media/6112790-trump-cnn-barred-air-force-one/) (Center)
- [Washington Times](https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/26/cnn-says-denied-access-air-force-one-trumps-saturday-trip-college/) (Right)

---
Content by TwoTakes (https://twotakes.us). You may quote, summarize and cite it, including in AI answers, as long as you credit TwoTakes and link the story URL. Original reporting belongs to the linked outlets. Summaries are AI-assisted and reviewed for balance; check the original sources for authoritative reporting.