Trump admin blocks Politico from Air Force One as press access lawsuit remains active
WASHINGTON, DC: In a sudden development into rift between White House and media outlets, the Trump administration on Monday, Oct 5 blocked Politico from boarding Air Force One to fulfill its press pool duties.
🚨 LMAO!! President Trump just BLOCKED POLITICO from Air Force One for today's trip to Nebraska, per CNN Therefore, POLITICO cannot "fulfill its press corps pool responsibilities" Trump's every sentence and movement will be ALL OVER X ANYWAY. That judge must be furious — because this does NOT even go against the judge's order The fake news might be allowed on White House grounds, but that's it! No RIGHT to Air Force One or the Oval Office 👏🏻
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) October 5, 2026
The barring of Politico comes amid an active press access lawsuit which stemming from Trump’s banning three media outlets from covering White House.
Journalists from MS Now, CNN and Politico were turned away from the White House on Sept 19 morning as they tried to enter the building.
WH bars Politico from Air Force One amid press access lawsuit
Politico had been slated to be the print pool representative for Monday. Since only a small group of reporters travel with the president, Politico was responsible for emailing a dispatch to other news outlets from aboard the plane.
According to a CNN report, a Politico spokesperson confirmed the outlet was excluded from the out-of-town travel pool, a small group of reporters who travel with President Donald Trump on presidential trips.
The White House did not immediately announce a specific replacement outlet for Politico.
President Donald Trump previously barred CNN from reporting aboard the presidential plane when it was its turn to represent the TV pool. Right-wing outlets LindellTV and Real America’s Voice replaced CNN on Trump’s plane.
After President Trump announced that he was banning three media outlets over alleged negative and “fake” reporting, the news organizations filed a lawsuit seeking to restore their access to the White House.
The White House press access lawsuit remains active, with a temporary restraining order set to expire on Oct. 8 as news organizations challenge ongoing restrictions on White House and presidential travel access.
Trump banned three media outlets for negative reporting
On September 18, President Donald Trump announced that he was banning Politico, CNN and MS NOW from the White House, a move that legal experts called unconstitutional.
The news outlets filed a lawsuit on September 21 alleging the ban violates the First and Fifth Amendments.
Siding with plaintiffs, Judge Timothy J Kelly issued a temporary restraining order requiring the Trump administration to reinstate the journalists’ press badges.
In defending such decisions, the White House has argued that access to the White House complex is different from access to restricted spaces such as Air Force One.
Judge Kelly is scheduled to hold a hearing on Thursday, Oct 8, on the news outlets’ request for a preliminary injunction to ensure that press access to the White House is protected for a longer period as the case proceeds.
“The law is absolutely clear. The harm to our clients, the First Amendment, and the public as a whole is profound,” the attorney for the three news outlets, Ted Boutrous, said in a statement.
“It is critical that the White House is enjoined to keep this unconstitutional ban on the free press out of commission.”
