The White House blocked Politico from traveling aboard Air Force One on Monday, preventing the outlet from carrying out its scheduled duties in the presidential press pool amid an ongoing legal fight with the Trump administration.
Politico was set to serve as the out-of-town print pool reporter for President Donald Trump’s trip to Nebraska, but was excluded from the traveling press group, a spokesperson for the outlet confirmed to TheWrap.
The exclusion underscores the limits of the outlets’ recent court victory: CNN, MS NOW and Politico regained access to the White House grounds last month, but the administration has continued restricting their participation in limited-capacity presidential events, including on Air Force One.
The White House repeatedly blocked CNN from Air Force One when the network was scheduled to serve as the television pool representative.
Trump announced last month that he was barring the three outlets from the White House, prompting CNN, MS NOW and Politico to sue the administration. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly subsequently ordered the White House to restore the outlets’ press credentials. The three organizations regained access to the White House grounds hours after the ruling following another court standoff.
The temporary order applies to access to the White House complex, while the administration has argued that it does not extend to limited-capacity spaces such as Air Force One or the Oval Office.
“The judge basically ordered them to renew their access back to the White House, but that’s different than allowing the pool into the events in the Oval Office or on Air Force One,” White House communications director Steven Cheung said last week, per CNN.
The White House offered Politico’s seat to other news organizations that rotate through the traveling print pool, but several declined to take the assignment, CNN reported, citing people familiar with the matter. Sunday night guidance sent to the press corps did not list any outlets traveling with the president.
Politico’s exclusion will likely be incorporated into the next legal filing by MS NOW, Politico and CNN, the latter further noted. Kelly is scheduled to hold a hearing Thursday on the outlets’ request for a preliminary injunction that would keep the administration from reinstating the broader access ban while the lawsuit proceeds.
“The law is absolutely clear. The harm to our clients, the First Amendment, and the public as a whole is profound,” Ted Boutrous, an attorney representing the three outlets, said in a prior statement. “It is critical that the White House is enjoined to keep this unconstitutional ban on the free press out of commission.”
A White House official said traveling aboard Air Force One is “a privilege, not a right,” while arguing that the administration continues to provide broad access to the press.
Politico confirmed its exclusion but did not provide a new statement, referring TheWrap to its legal filings, previous statements and Boutrous’ comments.
Trump is scheduled to travel to Nebraska later Monday for a campaign stop.
