CNN Blocked From Air Force One, Replaced by LindellTV

The White House has barred CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One with President Donald Trump on Saturday, allowing two Trump-friendly outlets, LindellTV and Real America’s Voice, to be there instead.

CNN White House reporter Alayna Treene broke the news on Anderson Cooper 360° Friday evening after the White House released its daily guidance for Trump’s planned trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. Saturday had been CNN’s scheduled rotation in the pool, meaning its crew was supposed to travel with Trump and provide footage of the president to the other major television networks.

Instead, the White House guidance listed LindellTV, founded by Trump ally Mike Lindell, and Real America’s Voice as the secondary pool outlets for the trip.

“The White House is now preventing CNN from carrying out their TV duties,” Treene explained.

The latest move comes amid an escalating battle between the Trump administration and several news organizations over access to the White House.

Trump announced last week that he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing the outlets of spreading “FICTION and LIES” and warning that other news organizations could follow. The three outlets sued, and U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a 14-day temporary restraining order early Thursday directing the administration to restore their access.

The White House initially continued blocking the outlets from entering the grounds before ultimately relenting. But hours later, CNN and MS NOW said they were barred from covering guest arrivals for Trump’s state dinner with Chinese President Xi Jinping, despite having regained access to the White House.

The administration defended that decision by arguing the dinner was a “pre-credentialed event” and that restored White House access did not give the networks “free rein into every part of the White House, every event, and every press call.”

While initially, the five television networks that make up the White House press pool joined forces to effectively suspend pool coverage, Treene noted on Friday, “It’s unclear what’s going to happen to it now.”

“We did hear our outside lawyer representing CNN, Politico, and MS NOW say earlier today that he believed the restoration of the outlet’s access included the White House pool, but clearly this White House is keeping us from doing so,” she added. “We know that they are definitely singling us out here.”

Watch the live reaction above on CNN.

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