White House Bars Politico, Then Can't Find a Sub

Air Force One lifted off Monday without someone long considered a standard presence: a primary print pool reporter. The White House barred Politico from joining President Trump's trip to Nebraska, then was unable to persuade any other outlet to take over Politico's role, according to pool reports and people familiar with the effort, the Washington Post reports. That left the flight without the usual designated print reporter responsible for filing detailed, shared accounts of the president's movements for newsrooms nationwide. The Post, slated as secondary print pooler, and CBS News, representing TV networks, agreed to send occasional updates instead.

The move is the latest in a series of access fights between the Trump administration and major outlets, including earlier attempts to bar Politico, CNN, and MS NOW from White House grounds—a step a federal judge blocked, though that ruling did not cover Air Force One travel. The White House defended its decision, saying flying on Air Force One "is a privilege not a right." The standoff began when Trump said he was barring outlets whose reporting he believes to be false. Separate print, radio, still photography and TV pools provide White House coverage, per NBC News.