The White House blocked Politico from joining President Donald Trump's Air Force One trip to Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday. A Politico representative confirmed the outlet was left out of the small on-the-road press pool and declined further comment. A White House official, speaking anonymously, said outlets like Politico can still attend and cover presidential events, and characterized spots on Air Force One as discretionary rather than guaranteed. CNN first reported the exclusion.
Trump's Nebraska stop is part of a month-long push to boost Republican candidates before next month's midterm elections.
Last month, CNN, Politico and MS NOW sued after Trump barred them from the White House, a move he said was warranted because, in his view, coverage of his administration was unfavorable. US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly - appointed by Trump - ordered the administration to temporarily restore access. The temporary restraining order ends on Oct. 8, and the outlets have asked the court to extend it. Numerous organizations, including Bloomberg News, backed them in a court brief.
Even with access to the White House grounds restored, tensions have persisted. The administration has still excluded CNN from Air Force One whenever the network is serving as the TV pool, including last month, when it was scheduled to accompany Trump to a college football game in Tennessee.
Press access fights are a reminder of how information reaches markets at all. Market Briefs covers the policy landscape free every morning.
This dispute arrives during a rocky stretch for Trump: his approval has sunk to record lows, and voters are unhappy about how he is managing the economy and the war in Iran. Earlier Monday, he criticized how recent campaign events were covered, asserting that there were empty seats.
Inside government, access has tightened during Trump's second term. The administration has tightened traditional press access at the Pentagon and blocked some journalists from the recent meeting of Group of 20 finance ministers. The White House ban last month marked a sharper step in Trump's campaign against certain outlets. He has additionally filed defamation lawsuits against the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC, allegations those outlets say lack merit.
Separately, the Associated Press sued the administration in Feb. 2025 after the White House started limiting its reporters and photographers when the wire service refused to alter its style guide to rename the "Gulf of Mexico" the "Gulf of America" following a Trump executive order.
When access narrows in the middle of campaign season, the information pipeline can get noisy. That shapes the stories you see on the economy, policy and the companies you follow right into the midterms. Watch the Oct. 8 court deadline and how often outlets are kept off the plane - both signal how smooth or choppy the news flow could be in the weeks ahead.
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