On Wednesday, the White House denied access to several reporters and a photographer from major news organizations, including Reuters and the Associated Press, during President Donald Trump’s first cabinet meeting.
The Associated Press photographer and three reporters from Reuters, HuffPost, and Der Tagesspiegel, a German newspaper, were not granted entry, while television crews from ABC and Newsmax, along with reporters from Axios, the Blaze, Bloomberg News, and NPR, were permitted to cover the event.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained that while traditional media organizations would still be allowed to cover Trump on a day-to-day basis, the administration plans to selectively determine which media outlets can participate in smaller coverage spaces. This represents a significant shift from the long-standing practice coordinated by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which has traditionally managed the presidential press pool.
In a joint statement, Reuters, along with the Associated Press and Bloomberg, voiced their concern over the new policy, emphasizing the importance of providing accurate and timely information about the presidency to a diverse audience. Much of the coverage seen in local news originates from wire services.
HuffPost criticized the White House’s decision, labeling it a violation of the First Amendment, which guarantees freedom of the press. The WHCA similarly issued a statement in protest of the new access policy.
This policy change follows the Trump administration’s recent decision to exclude the Associated Press from the press pool, reportedly due to the agency’s refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” a term favored by Trump.
Leavitt confirmed that major cable and broadcast networks would retain their rotating seats in the press pool while incorporating new streaming services. Traditional print and radio reporters will continue to participate, with new outlets and hosts being added as well.
