The White House has banned CNN reporters from flying with Donald Trump on Air Force One for his upcoming trip to Tennessee, according to a new report.
Despite a judge’s order restoring CNN’s access to the White House after Trump banned the network, along with MS NOW and Politico, from covering his daily activities, reporters are still being denied entry to certain events.
In the latest roadblock, CNN was barred from Air Force One when Trump flies to Knoxville on Saturday, two people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post.
CNN journalists were also stopped by a press wrangler when they tried to cover Chinese President Xi Jinping’s arrival at the White House for a state dinner Thursday night, the network reported.
The White House reportedly told CNN shortly before the event that it could cover the greeting ceremony but only with a photojournalist and audio technician, despite other networks being allowed to bring reporters and producers.
But CNN was allowed coverage of Trump and Xi’s visit to the National Archives in Washington, D.C., on Friday.
The Independent has reached out to the White House and CNN for comment about the network’s coverage of Trump’s Knoxville trip.
Coverage of the White House has been spotty ever since Trump banned the three networks last Friday, calling them “fake news.”
“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,” the president wrote on Truth Social.
The outlets then sued to regain access to the White House, arguing the ban violated their First Amendment rights.
In an early morning ruling Thursday, U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the Trump administration to temporarily reinstate the outlets’ press badges. But the outlets’ reporters were still denied entry later Thursday morning.
A White House official later told the court that the press office started “reinstating” press badges that morning. By Thursday afternoon, reporters regained access to the White House.
This is a developing story...
