Trump Blocks CNN From Air Force One in Defiance of Court Order

President Donald Trump‘s administration blocked CNN from Air Force One for a trip to Knoxville after a court order restored banned media outlets’ access to the White House.

On Friday, September 25, CNN learned it was prohibited from traveling on Air Force One with Trump on Saturday, September 26. The president is set to attend the Tennessee vs. Texas football game in Knoxville, Tennessee, on Saturday. However, CNN wasn’t included on the “daily guidance” document for the trip.

“CNN is not listed,” CNN White House reporter Alayna Treene explained on Anderson Cooper 360°. “And essentially what that means is that the White House is now preventing CNN from carrying out their TV pool duties for our viewers.”

Instead of CNN — which was supposed to provide footage to other TV networks — LindellTV and Real America’s Voice will travel with Trump.

🚨 IT’S OFFICIAL: The White House is barring CNN from flying on Air Force One on Saturday as President Trump travels to Tennessee pic.twitter.com/dI4UNwoGEK

— TV News Now (@TVNewsNow) September 26, 2026

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“It’s unclear what’s going to happen to it now,” Treene said. “We did hear an outside lawyer representing CNN, MS Now and Politico did say earlier today that he believed the restoration of the outlets’ access included the White House pool. But clearly, this White House is keeping us from doing so.”

The move to block CNN from Air Force One came after Trump banned CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House press pool. After other outlets spoke out and boycotted coverage — and CNN, MS Now, and Politico filed a lawsuit — U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly issued a temporary restraining order that restored access for 14 days.

Although the White House initially continued blocking the outlets from entering the White House (as well as from the arrival of Chinese President Xi Jinping for Trump’s state dinner), they were eventually allowed in.