CNN And Politico Again Are Barred From Air Force One
CNN and Politico were again barred from travelling on Air Force One while assigned to the press pools covering Donald Trump’s trip to Mississippi. The repeated restrictions have raised concerns about the White House limiting journalists’ access in response to their coverage.
The trip was a midterm campaign swing, and Axios stepped in as the secondary print pool reporter. A judge had earlier paused the administration’s ban on CNN, Politico and MS NOW from White House grounds, finding their legal claims about due process and First Amendment rights likely to succeed. CNN’s lawyer has warned the administration that the network may return to court; CNN had previously been excluded from four trips, while Politico was blocked from pool duty on 5 October.
In short
- CNN and Politico were again excluded from Air Force One.
- The outlets were assigned to cover Trump’s Mississippi trip.
- CNN has warned it may return to court over access.
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The case for
The administration could argue that it has discretion to organise a limited press pool and assign seats according to logistical needs, and that no outlet is entitled to a place on every trip. It might also maintain that pool arrangements should not prevent other journalists, such as Axios, from reporting the trip, while the dispute over access is considered through the courts.
The case against
Critics could argue that repeatedly excluding CNN and Politico from official travel pools, particularly after a judge found their legal claims likely to succeed, risks using access to punish or deter critical coverage. Because the pool reports on behalf of a wider press corps, selective restrictions may limit both journalists’ ability to scrutinise the administration and the public’s access to information.
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