As Donald Trump left for a high-stakes tour through the Middle East, reporters from the nation’s top news outlets were nowhere in sight. They weren’t invited. But Fox News host and longtime Trump ally Sean Hannity was.
On Monday afternoon, Hannity stood on the tarmac at Joint Base Andrews with Air Force One behind him, filming a quick video for social media. “It’s a huge news day,” he said, listing off the trip’s destinations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. Minutes later, he boarded the president’s plane.
Reporters from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Bloomberg—who usually fly with the president on international trips—were kicked off this time. For the first time in modern history, no wire service reporters were allowed on an overseas presidential flight, according to Ground Press. The White House made that decision. No explanation. No compromise.
The White House Correspondents’ Association blasted the move. “Leaving out the wires is a disservice to Americans who need news about their president,” the group said. “Especially on foreign trips where anything could happen and the consequences can impact the entire world.”
The ban comes after a standoff between the Trump administration and the AP, which refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” A judge ordered the AP’s access reinstated. The White House responded by eliminating the wire seat altogether—cutting off not just the AP, but all major wire outlets.
Who’s aboard Air Force One instead? According to sources, two print reporters, one radio correspondent, four TV journalists, and five photographers. Their affiliations remain unclear. But Hannity? He got full access—including a sit-down interview with Trump aboard the plane.
This isn’t a routine trip. The Middle East is a powder keg. India and Pakistan are dangerously close to open conflict. Trump’s rumored plans to rename the Persian Gulf to the “Arabian Gulf” could provoke Iran. And there are growing questions about whether Trump will accept a $400 million luxury jet from Qatar to serve as the next Air Force One.
That’s why the absence of independent reporters matters. Wire services like AP and Reuters provide straight, fast coverage. Their reporting reaches local newspapers, small-town radio stations, and newsrooms that don’t have their own correspondents overseas. Without them, huge swaths of the country are left in the dark.
“The White House pool was created to be representative of the different types of media outlets that serve different readers,” the WHCA said. “Leaving out the wires is a disservice to every American who deserves to know what their highest elected leader is up to, as quickly as possible.”
The Trump White House claims it’s the most transparent in history. But this decision tells another story—one where media access is handed out based on loyalty, not accountability.
Presidents from both parties have long traveled with journalists, including those who ask tough questions. Trump’s team is tearing up that playbook—shutting out reporters who hold power to account and giving a front-row seat to those who promote him.
This isn’t just about press passes. It’s about the public’s right to know what their president is doing—especially when the stakes are this high.
