Trump excludes CNN from Tennessee trip press pool, replaces with Lindell TV
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According to a report by Die Welt, CNN has been excluded from President Donald Trump's planned trip to Tennessee on September 26, 2026, despite having regained access to the White House days earlier after a court order. CNN was scheduled to be the rotating television representative in the White House press pool for the trip, but the published travel plan listed Lindell TV, a network owned by Trump ally Mike Lindell, instead. The press pool is a rotating group of journalists that accompanies the president due to limited space and shares material with other media. The exclusion follows a period of tension: on Thursday, a federal judge issued a temporary restraining order requiring the White House to reinstate access for CNN, MS NOW, and Politico after a multi-day ban, ruling the revocation likely violated constitutional rights. In solidarity, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC had previously suspended their joint pool coverage from the White House, stating no government should restrict a news organization based on its reporting. CNN declined to comment, and the White House did not respond to an AFP inquiry.
Source report
Source: AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson
Although CNN has regained access to the White House after a multi-day ban, the network has been excluded from President Donald Trump's planned trip to Tennessee. Instead, a television outlet closely aligned with the president has been chosen to accompany him.
Key Developments
- CNN was scheduled to serve as the rotating television representative in the traveling press pool for the Saturday trip to Tennessee.
- However, the network was absent from the travel plan released by the White House on Friday evening.
- Lindell TV, operated by Trump ally and entrepreneur Mike Lindell, was listed as the television outlet instead.
Background on the Press Pool
The press pool is a rotating group of journalists who accompany the president due to limited space, providing coverage and material to other media outlets.
Reactions
- CNN declined to comment when contacted by AFP.
- The White House also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Recent Context
On Thursday, CNN, along with MSNBC and Politico, regained access to the White House after a multi-day ban. A federal court had issued a temporary restraining order, lifting the ban for 14 days and ordering the reinstatement of the journalists' credentials. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly stated that the revocation of their accreditations likely violated constitutional rights.
In a show of solidarity with CNN, ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox, and NBC had previously suspended their joint pool reporting from the White House. The networks stated that no government should restrict a news organization based on its reporting.
Source: AFP/gold
Source
Nachrichten - WELTWestern
Part of this Story
White House bars CNN from Air Force One for Tennessee trip, escalating media conflict