President Trump's administration escalated its conflict with the press corps this past week, denying CNN access to Air Force One for a college football game in Tennessee—a move that sidestepped a U.S. district judge's order to restore White House press passes for CNN, Politico and MS NOW.
The three news organizations filed a lawsuit and requested an emergency hearing after the White House blocked their credentials. The judge ruled in their favor, mandating restoration of their press passes while the legal case proceeds.
But the administration appeared to exploit a loophole in the judge's order, which addressed White House press passes but did not explicitly cover travel on presidential aircraft. CNN faced coverage issues despite the court's ruling.
Other major networks initially stood in solidarity with CNN, Politico and MS NOW, deciding not to operate the press pool in protest. As the standoff continues, news organizations will need to make individual decisions on pool coverage.
The dispute unfolded the same week President Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a state visit. Trump told Xi that China had the friendliest press corps—a remark that drew sharp pushback from NPR's Mara Liasson, who noted that China has no free press or First Amendment protections.
Liasson also highlighted that the Trump administration aired government-funded advertisements praising the president during the same week. The taxpayer-funded spots focused on preventing communism and featured a choir singing in the background.
The administration's moves against the press coincide with Trump's effort to claw back $810 million in congressionally approved funds allocated for health and education spending—a direct challenge to prior legislative decisions by Congress.
Liasson questioned the strategic value of the president's ongoing fight with the media, particularly given its potential impact on Republican prospects in the midterms. She cited several policy positions where Trump has taken stands opposed to majority public opinion: the public favors artificial intelligence regulation while Trump opposes it; public sentiment runs against data centers but Trump has attacked opponents as wanting to be "poor and backwards"; Trump backs Flock cameras, which the public largely dislikes; and he supports tariffs and the war in Iran, both unpopular with voters. Liasson suggested these positions do not form a coherent strategy to help Republicans win over midterm voters.
