White House guidance issued Friday night replaced CNN with Real America’s Voice in the video‑pool for President Trump’s Air Force One flight to a mid‑day University of Tennessee‑Texas football game in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The move follows a US District Judge Timothy Kelly’s temporary injunction that struck down Trump’s broader ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico from White House grounds, a ruling that did not extend to Air Force One.
CNN, which has been a staple of the presidential video pool for decades, had been slated to cover the game but was omitted from the flight manifest. Real America’s Voice, not part of the pool, celebrated its inclusion, promising to share feeds with other outlets.
President Trump released a tweet on Saturday declaring, “FAKE NEWS SHOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THE WHITE HOUSE!!!” as the motorcade approached the stadium, a statement that echoed earlier protests against the network’s coverage.
The exclusion is being litigated, with the case already on appeal after a district judge ruled in favor of the banned outlets. A hearing is pending in federal court, and the appellate panel is expected to deliver a decision in the coming weeks.
For journalists, the decision means another hurdle in accessing the president’s movements, while fans at the game, who witnessed the low‑altitude flyover and the national anthem, now have fewer live feeds of the historic visit.