Media Outlets Demand Full Return to Oval Office and Air Force One Pools

CNN, MS NOW, and Politico filed an amended civil complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Wednesday, seeking full restoration of their rights to serve in press pools for the Oval Office and Air Force One.

The three outlets were banned by President Donald Trump on September 18, 2026, but a federal judge later ordered the White House to allow their journalists back onto the grounds. The new lawsuit argues that the White House is now using selective exclusions to effectively punish the outlets for their coverage.

The amended complaint states that since the judge's orders, the White House has blocked these specific outlets from performing pool duties they have held for years. In a press pool, designated reporters share information and images with the wider media to provide real-time coverage of events that cannot accommodate the full press corps.

Ted Boutrous Jr., an attorney for the three outlets, said the White House continues to violate the First Amendment and due process by excluding them from key locations.

"These exclusions, intended to punish and chill coverage of the administration that the President doesn't like, make it harder for the press to cover some of the most important events in the world for the benefit of the American people," Boutrous said in a statement Wednesday.

The suit claims the exclusions constitute unlawful retaliation for protected First Amendment activity and discriminate against the outlets based on their perceived editorial viewpoints. It notes that President Trump has held 121 press events on or near Air Force One and 138 events in the Oval Office since his second term began in January 2025. During these events, he answered at least 4,700 questions from reporters.

The complaint details specific instances of exclusion. It alleges the White House has repeatedly barred CNN from its role as a designated television network pooler aboard Air Force One, a position CNN has held for more than four decades. MS NOW has been kept out of the secondary TV pool, and Politico has been barred from two scheduled print pool assignments on the plane.

The legal team argues that the White House may not exclude these outlets once it opens these spaces to other journalists. The suit asserts that the outlets have liberty and property interests in their press credentials, which traditionally include access to the Oval Office and Air Force One for pool coverage.

The complaint also cites the Due Process Clause of the U.S. Constitution, claiming the outlets are being deprived of their interests without advance notice or a hearing. It notes that the White House has offered no official explanation for these specific exclusions.

The legal conflict began after Trump announced the ban, citing his frustration with what he called fiction and lies. On September 19, journalists from the three outlets were denied access and had their passes taken away. They sued the next day. Judge Tim Kelly issued a temporary restraining order on September 23 and a preliminary injunction on October 13, barring the White House from reinstating the ban while the case proceeds.