The White House is blocking CNN from flying aboard Air Force One on Saturday, preventing the network from carrying out its duties covering President Donald Trump on behalf of the other major networks.
According to multiple media reports, including CNN’s own, the network was slated to travel with the president to Tennessee for a college football game as part of the White House TV press pool.
The decision to bar CNN from the flight was reportedly shared Friday evening in a note that laid out Trump’s schedule. It’s said no outlet had been listed as a replacement for CNN, implying that there will be no TV pool coverage for his trip to Tennessee.
A representative for the White House did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment.
The update comes a day after CNN, MS NOW and Politico regained their White House credentials under a court order, following Trump’s ban on the outlets last week.
The drama all started last Friday, when Trump took to Truth Social and shared that he was banning the three outlets from the White House for “constantly” writing negatively about his administration.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote at the time. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
He doubled down on his sentiment while speaking to reporters that same day, noting, “I don’t think a court should allow fake news to be written day after day after day. I think that somebody has a right to keep them away if they’re going to write false stories all the time.”
Trump added: “There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to purposely tell negative stories … if they want to write them, that’s fine, but I don’t have to let them into my, into the people’s house.”
Then, on Monday, CNN, Politico and MS NOW sued President Trump and his administration after their reporters were stripped of their White House access and credentials.
“This morning, we notified the government that we are filing a lawsuit today to protect our First Amendment rights and defend the principle that the government does not decide what the press reports or publishes,” the outlets shared in a joint statement on Monday. “Without notice or process, the White House revoked our journalists’ credentials because it objected to our reporting. Left unchallenged, this threatens press freedom and the public’s right to independent journalism free from government interference.”
Not only did the outlets file a complaint and a memorandum of law in D.C. District Court, they also filed a motion for a temporary restraining order.
However, the president stood firm in his decision on Monday, once again bemoaning in a follow-up Truth Social post that the outlets only write “negatively” about him.
“It is called the Oval Office, and it should be treated with Decorum, Respect, and Dignity, not defiled by Third Rate Clowns, who purposefully distort, twist, and degrade with everything they write or publish,” he wrote. “Virtually every story about me, or anything having to do with me, is negative, wrong and, in many cases, DANGEROUS for our Country! No matter how GREAT my Achievements, they trivialize and demean. The fact is, I won all seven Swing States, the Popular Vote, the Electoral College (312 to 226), and the Counties throughout America by 86%, and yet it is reported that I get 94% bad publicity. With such a Crooked and Corrupt Press, how did I win in such a LANDSLIDE? It is because the Media has NO credibility, and that is a very bad thing for our Nation! Why should I have to give ‘access’ to such people? Perhaps Judge Kelly could explain that! In any event, I have an obligation to fight for the Success and Safety of our Country. FAKE NEWS IS A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY, and I will do whatever is necessary to make sure that the U.S.A. thrives.”
In the early morning hours Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to reinstate credentials for reporters at CNN, MS NOW and Politico. However, it wasn’t until noon that day that reporters were able to regain access.
In fact, CNN correspondent Betsy Klein and MS NOW White House correspondent Laura Barrón-López both shared Thursday that they were turned away several times before being let back into the White House.
Additionally, Judge Kelly declined the administration’s request to delay the order from taking effect. The TRO is set to run for 14 days while the court moves to expedited briefing on the outlets’ request for a preliminary injunction.
The post White House Bars CNN From Trump Flight a Day After Credentials Restored appeared first on TheWrap.
