The White House blocked Politico from flying on Air Force One on Monday. That meant the outlet could not serve as the print pool reporter on President Trump's trip to Grand Island, Nebraska, where he was set to hold a rally with Sen. Pete Ricketts, MS NOW reported. A Politico spokesperson confirmed it was left out, CNN reported.

The pool is a small group of journalists who travel with the president and share what they see with every other news outlet. With Politico off the plane, there would be no print reporter sending updates from the trip, The Hill reported. The White House offered the seat to other outlets that take turns in the travel pool, and several said no, CNN reported, citing people familiar with the matter. The White House's Sunday night schedule email did not list any traveling outlets at all.

The move comes three days before a key court date. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly will hold an in-person hearing on Thursday, Oct. 8, on whether to give the three outlets a preliminary injunction, KYMA reported. That would protect their access for longer while the lawsuit goes on. Kelly's temporary restraining order, which restored their White House press badges, ends the same day. "The harm to our clients, the First Amendment, and the public as a whole is profound," said Ted Boutrous, a lawyer for the outlets.

Here is how the fight started. On Sept. 18, Trump said he was banning the three outlets from the White House. They sued on Sept. 21. On Sept. 24, Kelly, a Trump nominee, ordered their badges restored for 14 days, the Washington Examiner reported.

Since then, the White House has kept CNN off Air Force One on days when it was CNN's turn in the TV pool, including a Sept. 26 trip to a college football game in Tennessee, the New York Post reported. The Associated Press reported that the White House gave CNN's seat on that trip to Real America's Voice, a conservative outlet. White House communications director Steven Cheung has said the judge's order covers the White House grounds, not events in the Oval Office or on Air Force One. In a filing last week, the Justice Department asked Kelly to let the ban stand, arguing that White House access is a privilege, not a right, the Examiner reported.

The AP has its own lawsuit over that same line between the grounds and tight spaces, after it was barred from some events last year.

What we know: Politico was kept off Monday's flight, and Kelly hears the case Thursday.
What we don't: Whether Kelly will extend protection to pool seats, and whether Politico's exclusion will be added to the lawsuit.