White House blocks Politico from trip on Air Force One
Politico was set to be the day's out-of-town print pooler, reporting for use by other outlets.
The White House blocked Politico from traveling aboard Air Force One for President Donald Trump’s planned trip to Nebraska on Monday, a spokesperson for the outlet confirmed in an email.
Politico, along with CNN and MS NOW, was banned from White House grounds in September; that decision was halted by a federal judge, who temporarily reinstated the outlets’ press credentials after they sued.
But the judge’s decision does not extend beyond the White House grounds, or mention the traveling press pool, which reports on the president’s movements. The White House late last month blocked CNN from traveling on Air Force One, barring it from its duties to the broadcast pool, a group of outlets dedicated to filming the president.
Politico was set to be the out-of-town print pooler, in charge of keeping an eye on the president’s whereabouts and activities and reporting them for the benefit of other news outlets. The decision Monday meant that Politico would not be able to fulfill those duties; it was unclear whether another outlet would step in to take its place.
News of the decision was first reported by CNN. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Politico declined to share a statement beyond confirming the news.
