WHCA Rages as Trump Excludes Major News Wire Services From Middle East Trip

(AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) torched the Trump administration Monday for cutting out three of the biggest news wire services from President Donald Trump’s flight to the Middle East.

In a sharply worded statement, the WHCA said it was “disturbed” that reporters from the Associated Press, Reuters, and Bloomberg News were not allowed on Air Force One for the high-stakes overseas trip. The move, they argue, threatens public access to crucial, independent reporting on foreign policy.

“Leaving out the wires is a disservice to Americans who need news about their president, especially on foreign trips where anything could happen and the consequences can impact the entire world,” the WHCA wrote.

“The WHCA is disturbed by this new restriction on who can cover this White House and continued retaliation for independent editorial decisions,” the group added. “The WHCA is advocating for the wire service journalists to return to their seats on Air Force One… not for us but for the millions of Americans who depend on their reporting every day.”

The absence of wire service reporters marks a break from decades of precedent, where outlets like AP and Reuters have served as the backbone of international coverage and pool reports. Their exclusion comes after the White House also seized control of the press rotation schedule, a role traditionally managed by the WHCA itself.

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt dismissed the outrage, insisting the new briefing room arrangement is about inclusion.