By Skylar Woodhouse and Hannah Miller | Updated on Oct 05, 2026 at 09:38 PM
The White House is refusing to allow Politico to travel Monday on Air Force One with President Donald Trump, the latest salvo in a fight that has seen officials restrict access to certain media outlets.
A spokesperson for Politico confirmed the news organization was barred from the out-of-town travel pool, the small group of reporters who provide coverage of the president during trips. The outlet declined to comment further. Trump is traveling to Grand Island, Nebraska, on Monday as part of a month-long campaign blitz to bolster Republican candidates ahead of next month’s midterm elections.
Outlets such as Politico have access to attend and cover presidential events, according to a White House official who spoke on condition of anonymity and cast traveling on Air Force One as a privilege, not a right.
The move to bar Politico was first reported by CNN. The two outlets along with MS NOW are suing over Trump’s decision last month to bar them from the White House due to what he described as unfavorable coverage of his administration.
The ban marked a sharp escalation in Trump’s efforts to target media outlets. CNN, Politico and MS NOW challenged Trump in federal court, calling his moves a blatant violation of the First Amendment and winning temporary relief. Numerous outlets, including Bloomberg News, joined a legal brief submitted to the court in support of the banned organizations.
US District Judge Timothy J. Kelly, a Trump appointee, ordered the administration to temporarily lift the ban on the journalists. The temporary restraining order is set to expire on Oct. 8 and the outlets are seeking an extension.
Read more: Why Trump’s Effort to Ban Media Faces Legal Hurdles: Explainer
Despite the order restoring access to the White House grounds, Trump has still barred CNN from traveling aboard Air Force One on days when it is the television pool representative, including last month when the cable network had been slated to go with Trump to attend a college football game in Tennessee.
Trump’s decision to ramp up his fight with the press comes at a politically challenging time, with his approval ratings at record lows and voters unhappy with his handling of the economy and war in Iran. The president earlier Monday lashed out over coverage of recent campaign rallies claiming that there were empty seats.
The administration has escalated attacks on the press during Trump’s second term, limiting the media’s longstanding access to the Pentagon and barring some reporters from covering the recent Group of 20 finance ministers summit. Trump has also sued the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and the BBC for defamation, claims the news organizations have said are without merit.
The Associated Press sued the Trump administration in Feb. 2025, when the White House began restricting its reporters and photographers after the wire service refused to update its style guide to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” the “Gulf of America” following a Trump executive order.