White House bars CNN journalists from Trump's plane

The White House denied CNN journalists a seat aboard Air Force One for President Donald Trump's Saturday, September 26 trip to Tennessee, according to CNN and the outlet "European Pravda".

CNN reporters had been scheduled to fly with the president as part of the White House television press pool covering his trip to a college football game in Tennessee. However, the administration blocked this arrangement on Friday, September 25.

Background of the dispute

The incident is the latest episode in an escalating conflict between the White House and several major news organizations. On September 21, Politico, CNN and MS NOW announced they were filing a federal lawsuit demanding immediate restoration of access for their reporters, who had been denied entry to the White House complex on Saturday, September 19.

Following that, other major television networks — ABC, CBS, NBC, and even the Trump-friendly Fox News — announced a boycott of official White House events. Newspapers The New York Times and The Washington Post joined the protest as well, halting publication of official footage and materials related to the president.

On September 24, a judge ruled in favor of the media outlets, ordering the Trump administration to immediately restore access for representatives of Politico, CNN and MS NOW. Despite that ruling, the new refusal to admit CNN journalists suggests the tension between the White House and parts of the press corps has not been resolved.