Fact Check: Did Trump announce travel fee for press members flying on Air Force One?
WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump banned news outlets from the White House, accusing them of fake news, an online post claims that Trump has announced a travel fee for press members flying on Air Force One. The claim has sparked concern and criticism against the president, requiring a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump announced a travel fee for press travelling in Air Force One
The claim surfaced as a post on X, stating that Trump has made it clear that he is “not fooling around when it comes to fake news.”
It goes on to say that in the latest blow to the propaganda networks, Trump has ended the era of free travel on Air Force One for members of the press.
"They can either pay their way, or they can fly the friendly skies," Trump allegedly told reporters. "There's no reason for taxpayers to be paying for two dozen hack journalists to follow me around and write lies."
The post ends by stating that the CBO estimates that having the press pay their own way will save approximately $45 million per year.
The post drew criticism against Trump, indicating that many believe the claim to be authentic.
Fact Check: The claim originated from a parody account
The claim, however, is false, as there are no records of the president making such an announcement.
There are no official statements, announcements, or press coverage stating that Trump announced a travel fee for press members flying on Air Force One.
There are also no reports suggesting that Trump made the above remark to the reporters, which, if true, would have been widely covered by prominent news outlets. But a search on Google for the claim yielded no such results.
Moreover, the claim was posted by a parody account called ‘America’s Last Line Of Defense,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘Nothing on this page is real.’
CNN barred from travelling on Air Force One
The claim surfaced after the White House on Friday, September 25, reportedly barred CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One with Trump.
The move came after Trump announced a ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House, accusing them of repeatedly publishing what he described as false and negative coverage.
“Media Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they're covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on September 18.
