The White House announced Friday night that CNN will not be part of the White House video pool for President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Knoxville, Tennessee. Instead, the conservative network Real America’s Voice News will receive the pool assignment for the Saturday flight.
Media pool reshuffle amid legal battles
The change comes as the administration continues its dispute with several news outlets over First Amendment rights. Earlier this week, a federal judge temporarily lifted the ban on CNN, MS NOW and Politico, allowing their cameras back on the White House grounds. However, the judge’s order did not address the composition of the White House video pool or Air Force One credentials.
Real America’s Voice is not a regular member of the five‑outlet White House pool, which traditionally rotates coverage among major broadcasters. When CNN was barred from the pool earlier this year, the remaining four pool members declined to participate in solidarity, leaving a gap that the administration filled with the conservative outlet.
Trump’s schedule and the pool’s role
President Trump is slated to attend the University of Tennessee‑University of Texas football game at midday Saturday. The White House pool provides in‑person video and imagery to the broader press corps, ensuring the president’s activities are documented for the public.
According to a source familiar with the pool’s operations, “all systems are go” for the flight, indicating that the logistical arrangements are proceeding smoothly despite the media reshuffle.
Legal context and administration stance
U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly’s temporary ruling struck down the ban on the three news outlets, but it focused on “hard passes” to the White House grounds and did not directly address pool duties. The administration has not commented further, but the decision to use Real America’s Voice reflects President Trump’s continued effort to prioritize media outlets that align with his administration’s perspective.
Throughout his second term, President Trump has taken a more aggressive stance toward news organizations whose coverage he deems unfavorable, employing both administrative and legal measures to limit their access.
Impact on public transparency
The White House press pool was created decades ago by the White House Correspondents’ Association to ensure consistent coverage of the president and to hold the executive branch accountable. While the pool’s composition has shifted, the administration maintains that the coverage will continue to reach the American public.
Critics argue that excluding mainstream outlets like CNN undermines transparency, but supporters contend that the move safeguards the president’s message from biased reporting.
Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.
