White House removes CNN from pool schedule for Texas-Oklahoma trip

The White House has removed CNN from its scheduled press pool assignment for Donald Trump’s Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, trip to Texas and Oklahoma, continuing a dispute over the network’s access to the president.

CNN had been designated to provide television pool coverage for the trip in a rotation released Sunday. Updated White House guidance issued Wednesday, however, no longer listed CNN for the assignment. Trump is scheduled to visit a truck manufacturing facility in Denton, Texas, before traveling to Durant, Oklahoma.

The change comes a week after U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly temporarily blocked the White House from revoking access for CNN, MS NOW and Politico. Kelly found that the administration had revoked the outlets’ White House credentials without constitutionally adequate due process.

His temporary order applies to access to the White House grounds and does not specifically require the administration to include the outlets in presidential travel or press pool assignments.

It was not immediately clear if an alternate pool member will take the assignment or will re-suspend pool coverage as they did when CNN was blocked from White House grounds in September 2026.

CNN was also removed from a scheduled pool assignment during Trump’s trip to Tennessee last weekend and has been barred access to Air Force One. 

CNN confirmed the latest removal but did not provide additional comment,

The three outlets have asked Kelly to issue a preliminary injunction that would continue blocking the White House’s restrictions while their lawsuit proceeds. The administration has maintained that access to the White House is a privilege and has defended its authority over press access.

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