CNN Again Removed As TV Pooler Set To Travel With Donald Trump

CNN will not be the TV pooler covering President Donald Trump‘s trip to Texas and Oklahoma on Thursday, despite being listed on the schedule earlier in the week.

The change signaled once again that the White House was restricting the network from certain access, namely travel on Air Force One. The network was scheduled to serve as the TV pool traveling with Trump to Tennessee last Saturday, but was removed from that assignment as well.

Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from access to the White House grounds last month. But less than a week later, a federal judge granted a temporary restraining order requiring access to be restored.

Although the networks are back in, the White House has continued to restrict CNN from certain gatherings with the president. The judge’s order had to do with access to the White House grounds and did not directly address whether Trump could bar outlets from areas like Air Force One and the Oval Office, where press availability is typically restricted to members of a smaller group of pool reporters.

That said, attorneys for the three networks have cited the White House’s continued prohibitions on CNN as further examples of First Amendment retaliation. The networks are seeking a preliminary injunction that will prohibit the White House from denying access to three outlets on a longer term, typically until a trial is held or if a higher court issues a ruling on appeal.

Asked for comment, a White House official said, “President Trump is the most accessible President in history — holding open press events, regular gaggles and interviews, taking questions nearly every day, and speaking directly to the American people through social media. But if a reporter walks into an interview with their headline and narrative already decided, why do they need to be in the room? They can write their garbage from anywhere. Even after outlets were given access to the White House, they declined to cover various events proving this isn’t about access. It’s performative and dishonest.”