CNN has been excluded from the press pool accompanying President Donald Trump on his scheduled trip to Tennessee on Saturday, marking a fresh obstruction of the network’s White House access. This decision came even as a federal judge had recently ordered the temporary restoration of the outlet’s credentials.
Last week, the Trump administration barred three news organizations—CNN, MS NOW, and Politico—from the White House complex, alleging they provided unfavorable coverage. In response, a judge issued a temporary restraining order, stating the ban appeared likely unconstitutional, which allowed the journalists to briefly re-enter the facility.
For the upcoming Saturday trip, CNN was slated to serve as the television network within the rotating press pool. However, a White House schedule released Friday evening omitted CNN and other major TV networks from the rotation. The pool system allows a limited group of journalists to travel with the president and share footage with outlets that cannot send their own crews.
Instead, the schedule listed Lindell TV, a pro-Trump channel operated by businessman Mike Lindell, a close ally of the president, as the sole “Secondary TV” correspondent and crew member.
The exclusion follows a rare show of solidarity earlier this week among the top five US broadcasters—ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC—which suspended pool coverage of the White House in protest of the bans. In a joint statement, the networks emphasized, “The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organisation because it objects to its reporting.”
CNN declined to comment when contacted by AFP, and the White House did not respond to requests for comment.
Replacing mainstream networks with Lindell TV seems like a blatant attempt to control the narrative rather than ensure fair reporting.
Defying a federal court order is outrageous. The press needs to hold power accountable, not be silenced because coverage is critical.