Donald Trump lashed out at a female reporter on 26 September after she questioned whether the White House only wanted friendly news outlets in its press pool, following CNN's exclusion from Air Force One for his Tennessee trip. Video of the exchange quickly spread on social media, showing the president responding sharply to the journalist's question.
Donald Trump Defends His 'Fake News' Claims
The exchange followed CNN's Kaitlan Collins reporting that the network had been blocked from boarding Air Force One during Trump's Saturday trip to Tennessee for a college football game. White House guidance issued on Friday evening placed Real America's Voice, described by The Mirror as a conservative media outlet, in CNN's place.
The reporter asked Trump whether he only wanted friendly news outlets covering him as part of the press pool. Trump rejected the suggestion and said he supported an open and free press, while criticising what he called 'fake news'.
'No, I want real news, not fake news, like you. I love an open, free press. What I don't like is the fake press,' Trump said.
Trump then criticised MSNBC, saying it had rebranded as MS NOW 'because their ratings were so bad'. When the female journalist attempted to ask a follow-up question, Trump interrupted her.
'Wait, wait, quiet,' Trump said.
He continued by repeating his criticism of news organisations he described as 'fake news'.
'What I don't like is fake news, and they're fake news, 100%. In two years, I doubt they did one good story, and I won the election in a landslide. So what we don't want is, we don't want fake news,' Trump said.
As the exchange ended, Trump stretched out his right arm, apparently pointing towards the reporter while looking directly at her.
CNN and the Air Force One Dispute
CNN had been scheduled to fly on Air Force One as part of the US network video pool, but was replaced by Real America's Voice, which handles rotational video coverage responsibilities for the president. CNN had been scheduled to fly on Air Force One on Saturday for an afternoon college football matchup between the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and the University of Texas. Real America's Voice replaced CNN.
The directive came after reporters from CNN, MS NOW and Politico returned to the executive complex with cameras after they had previously been barred from White House grounds. Their return followed a temporary reprieve granted by U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly.
Kelly temporarily struck down the president's ban in an overnight ruling early Thursday. The decision specifically addressed 'hard passes' allowing access to the White House grounds and did not directly address pool duties. The judge's temporary order also made no direct mention of Air Force One.
Donald Trump Exchange Draws Criticism
The footage drew criticism after circulating on social media, with many accusing Trump of trying to muzzle news organisations that challenge his narrative. Those reactions followed Trump's comments about the press and his explanation for objecting to what he called 'fake news'.
The dispute over CNN's access to Air Force One remained separate from the specific issue addressed by Kelly's temporary order. The ruling concerned access to the White House grounds through 'hard passes', while the order did not directly address whether CNN could take part in the presidential travel pool.
The exchange highlighted Trump's stated distinction between what he calls 'real news' and 'fake news', while the wider dispute centred on CNN's removal from the presidential plane for the Tennessee trip.
