On September 25, 2026, the Trump administration allowed CNN to resume its TV pool coverage duties after previously blocking its journalists from flying with President Donald Trump on Air Force One. The network had fulfilled its duties as the designated pooler earlier that day during Trump's visit to the National Archives in Washington with Chinese President Xi Jinping. This followed a week of restrictions imposed on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, which had been banned from White House coverage.
Later on Friday, the White House removed CNN as the primary TV pooler for Saturday, preventing it from accompanying Trump to Knoxville, Tennessee, for a football game between the University of Tennessee and the University of Texas. The Washington Post first reported on CNN's exclusion from the trip. The White House did not specify a primary TV pool for Saturday in its daily guidance sent out that evening.
A spokesperson for CNN declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to a request for comment from MS NOW. CNN, along with ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC, had suspended their TV coverage of Trump after the administration removed CNN from its duties on Monday. CNN had previously been blocked from flying on Air Force One as Trump traveled to New York City for the United Nations General Assembly. However, the pool was reactivated on Friday morning, with CBS serving as the primary TV pooler for the day.
Following Trump's ban on MS NOW, CNN, and Politico from the White House grounds, citing unfair coverage, the outlets filed a lawsuit to restore their access, arguing that the ban violated their due process rights and the First Amendment. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the White House to temporarily restore access to the outlets as litigation continued. Despite this ruling, several journalists faced intermittent blocks throughout the day.
After the court order, the White House allowed some journalists from MS NOW, CNN, and Politico to enter the building but blocked others and confiscated their press passes. Following a notice of noncompliance filed by the outlets, the White House restored access to the journalists. On Friday morning, MS NOW, CNN, and Politico journalists were permitted to enter the White House after some reporters from MS NOW and CNN were denied access to Trump's state dinner with Xi the night before, despite MS NOW's request for credentials for the event.
This is a developing story. Updates will follow.