Waltz Declines Tapper’s Request on CNN Air Force One Access

CNN anchor Jake Tapper asked U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz on Sunday to urge President Donald Trump to restore the network’s access to the Air Force One press pool. Waltz did not agree to intervene, instead saying the administration wanted fair, objective and well-sourced reporting. The exchange came a day after the White House barred CNN from carrying out a pool assignment aboard Air Force One, according to accounts of the exclusion. CNN had been assigned to report on behalf of five major television networks, Tapper said during an interview on State of the Union. Pool reporting is shared with participating outlets and their affiliates and subscribers. At the close of the interview, Tapper asked Waltz to convey CNN’s request to Trump. He said presidents should not decide which outlets can cover them, and cited the Obama administration’s attempt to exclude Fox from the pool in 2009. Waltz acknowledged the request but did not promise to pass it along. Waltz said he believed the press corps should report fairly and without an agenda, and characterized Trump as frustrated with coverage.