The White House will bar Politico from boarding Air Force One on Monday, preventing the outlet from fulfilling its rotating print pool duties for President Trump's travel. The move, first reported by CNN, means no print reporter will be on hand to relay the president's statements and movements to the broader press corps for the day.
Politico is one of three news organizations—along with CNN and MSNBC—that Trump banned from the White House last month, a decision that triggered a lawsuit alleging First Amendment violations. A federal judge subsequently ruled that the administration had failed to provide due process to the affected outlets. While journalists from all three were later readmitted to the White House grounds, the administration has since twice blocked CNN from its TV pool responsibilities.
The White House did not respond to a request for comment on the latest exclusion. The move comes as the broader legal battle over press access continues to unfold. Earlier this week, a federal judge heard arguments in a case brought by CNN's attorneys seeking to clarify access rules for pool coverage specifically. A hearing is scheduled for Thursday.
Trump's initial ban was tied to his assertion that the outlets had published "fake news" that he and his legal team argued endangered national security. Some allies of the president have defended the restrictions, contending that journalists have no guaranteed right to access "special" spaces like the Oval Office or Air Force One.
The administration has also taken aim at the Associated Press, barring its reporters from certain West Wing areas earlier this year over the wire service's refusal to adopt the administration's preferred name for the body of water south of the United States—the "Gulf of America."
This latest exclusion of Politico from the presidential aircraft escalates what has become a recurring confrontation between the White House and the press. The previous block on CNN's pool access drew sharp criticism from press freedom advocates, who argue that limiting pool participation undermines the public's ability to monitor the president.
Legal experts note that while the Supreme Court has recognized a qualified right of access to certain government proceedings, the question of whether journalists have a constitutional right to travel on Air Force One remains unresolved. The ongoing litigation could set a precedent for how far the executive branch can go in restricting press access.
In a related development, the federal appeals court recently blocked a Trump administration attempt to carve the president's name into a building at the U.S. Institute of Peace, a separate dispute over executive authority. Meanwhile, other legislative actions on Capitol Hill have also drawn attention to the administration's approach to institutional norms.
For now, Politico's exclusion from Air Force One is set to take effect Monday, and the outlet is expected to challenge the decision in court if necessary. The White House has not indicated whether further restrictions on other outlets are planned.
