In a significant shake-up of White House press access, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday that the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) will no longer hold exclusive control over which journalists get access to President Donald Trump in high-profile settings such as the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other limited press areas.
“For decades, a group of D.C.-based journalists, the White House Correspondents’ Association, has long dictated which journalists get to ask questions of the president of the United States in these most intimate spaces. Not anymore,” Leavitt declared. “All journalists, outlets, and voices deserve a seat at this highly coveted table.”
If you think MAGA benefits from this in the long term, you’re dead wrong. You would not have trusted the any Democratic admin to pick its own pool – but now that door is open. WHCA has never opposed the WH adding to the pool – but picking it is another story. Just wait til a Dem… https://t.co/MrG6aMEqrb
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) February 26, 2025
Leavitt framed the change as a long-overdue correction, calling it a move to “give the power back to the people.” The decision follows a legal battle between the White House and the Associated Press, which was removed from the press pool two weeks ago. On Monday, the White House prevailed in court, reinforcing its authority to determine which journalists receive access.
“As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right,” the White House said in a statement. “We stand by our decision to hold the Fake News accountable for their lies, and President Trump will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press. This is the most transparent administration in history.”
Hand selecting the media outlets allowed to cover a president is an affront to press freedom reminiscent of the authoritarian tactics I experienced working in Iran. https://t.co/wAFhKtuXmv
— Jason Rezaian (@jrezaian) February 25, 2025
Unsurprisingly, the WHCA issued a strongly worded statement condemning the decision.
“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president,” the WHCA said, warning that such a shift undermines the role of an independent media.
This move does not give the power back to the people – it gives power to the White House. The WHCA is democratically elected by the full-time White House press corps.
WHCA has determined pools for decades because only representatives FROM our outlets can determine resources all… https://t.co/GeGrckDYVt
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) February 25, 2025
“For generations, the working journalists elected to lead the White House Correspondents’ Association board have consistently expanded the WHCA’s membership and its pool rotations to facilitate the inclusion of new and emerging outlets.” The statement further claimed that “the WHCA will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency, and the right of the American public to read, listen to, and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor.”
The WHCA also noted that the White House made its decision without consulting them, underscoring the unilateral nature of the change.
The decision marks a dramatic break from tradition, as the WHCA has historically controlled press pool rotations, determining which outlets gain access to restricted areas and presidential interactions. The association, founded in 1914, has long portrayed itself as an independent safeguard ensuring broad and fair media representation in covering the presidency.
What many folks don’t realize is that if it wasn’t for the Big 7 media orgs (AP, Bloomberg, NBC, CNN, CBS, ABC and Fox), the cost of covering the president would be even higher; These media orgs subsidize the cost of smaller media outlets to cover POTUS overseas.
— Chuck Todd (@chucktodd) February 25, 2025
However, critics of the WHCA argue that it has operated as a gatekeeper for establishment media, giving legacy outlets like The New York Times, CNN, and The Washington Post near-automatic access while smaller, independent, and conservative outlets struggle to gain a foothold. Under Trump’s leadership, the White House is now bypassing the association altogether, effectively dismantling its monopoly over access to the president.
While the WHCA claims this threatens press freedom, the White House maintains that the new approach actually expands access by opening doors to outlets that have long been excluded from key coverage opportunities.
They keep trying to distract us with tired old dictator stunts like attacking the free press. We all see what they’re doing. Eggs are too expensive. Day One they said they’d fix it. Prices have never been higher. pic.twitter.com/tmBwQ7G1gW
— Jane Mayer (@JaneMayerNYer) February 26, 2025
