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White House Seizes Control of Press Pool Access, Sparks Press Freedom Concerns
- White House takes control of press pool access, bypassing traditional media selection.
- Trump criticises AP, continuing dispute over “Gulf of America” naming policy.
- Judge delays ruling on AP’s White House ban, with a hearing set for March 30.
The White House has announced it will take full control over selecting journalists and media organisations for press pool coverage of President Donald Trump’s administration, a move critics say undermines press freedom.
The press pool system, which provides access to smaller events for select TV, radio, wire, print, and photojournalists, has historically been managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA). Major outlets such as CNN, Reuters, ABC News, Fox News, and The New York Times have traditionally dominated these rotations.
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Trump administration spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt confirmed on Tuesday that while these organisations will retain access, the administration will now decide which additional outlets participate, including streaming services.
“For decades, a group of DC-based journalists, the White House Correspondents’ Association, has dictated who gets to ask questions of the president. Not anymore,” Leavitt said, emphasising that the White House press team will now determine pool access.
WHCA President Eugene Daniels criticised the decision, stating that the administration provided no prior notice and that the change threatens press independence. “It suggests the government will handpick journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not control their own press corps,” he said.
When asked about the decision during an Oval Office press gathering, Trump doubled down. “We’re going to be now calling the shots,” he declared.
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At the same event, Trump lashed out at The Associated Press (AP) amid a dispute over its refusal to adopt the administration’s preferred term “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico. Last month, the White House barred AP reporters from several events, accusing the outlet of spreading “lies.”
“AP has been terrible. I think they’re radical left. I think they’re third-rate reporters,” Trump said, singling out an AP journalist as a “radical left lunatic.”
The AP has since challenged its exclusion in court. However, on Monday, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden declined to immediately restore the outlet’s access to White House events, saying further legal review was needed. A follow-up hearing is scheduled for March 30, and the ban remains in effect.
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