The White House has excluded CNN anchors from attending a private annual lunch it hosts on the day of the State of the Union, according to three unnamed sources in a network report.



Trump has often had a contentious relationship with the media and CNN in particular.

In the past, the president has referred to CNN as "fake news," and some of his rally attendees have chanted "CNN sucks" when Trump broaches the subject of the media.

According to the network , the lunch is a time for "off the record" discussion and for the journalists to get a sense of what the president is thinking before he addresses the nation that evening. However, this will not be the case for members of CNN's news team this year. the lunch is a time for "off the record" discussion and for the journalists to get a sense of what the president is thinking before he addresses the nation that evening. However, this will not be the case for members of CNN's news team this year.

Two of the network's current anchors, Anderson Cooper and Wolf Blitzer, were invited to and attended the 2019 lunch, and Blitzer has attended the lunch 20 years in a row, according to the network.



The Hill has reached out to the White House for comment.