White House bars CNN from covering Trump’s trip to Tennessee
CNN reporters have been excluded from travelling with US President Donald Trump on Saturday, despite the network being scheduled to cover the presidential trip, in what appears to be the latest restriction on the broadcaster’s access to the White House.
The development comes after Trump last week moved to bar three US media organisations; CNN, MS NOW and Politico, from the White House, accusing them of producing predominantly negative coverage of his administration.
The journalists were subsequently prevented from entering the White House complex. However, a judge ordered their access to be temporarily restored, ruling that Trump’s action was likely unconstitutional.
CNN had been scheduled to serve as the television network in the press pool accompanying Trump during his trip to Tennessee on Saturday.
However, a White House schedule released late Friday did not include CNN or any of the other television networks listed in the regular TV pool rotation.
The presidential press pool consists of journalists from different media organisations who rotate coverage of the president and share their reports with other outlets because of limited space during official travel.
Instead, the White House schedule listed Lindell TV as the “Secondary TV” correspondent and crew. The outlet is run by businessman Mike Lindell, a close ally of Trump and a staunch supporter of the US president.
The latest development follows a rare joint decision earlier in the week by the five major US broadcast networks to suspend their pool coverage of the White House in solidarity with CNN while the network’s access remained restricted.
“The public has a vital interest in receiving accurate, independent information about its government. No administration should restrict a news organization because it objects to its reporting,” ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox and NBC said in a joint statement.