White House Correspondents’ Association Slams Trump Admin’s New Press Pool Rules: ‘Tears at the Independence of a Free Press’ in America
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) released a statement on Tuesday condemning the announcement that the White House will be taking control of the makeup of press pools.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House team will now be deciding which outlets are part of press pools. She said she wants to expand access for outlets that have “long been denied” access to White House events. “Legacy” outlets, she said, will be part of a rotation. Leavitt took a shot at the WHCA, accusing them of holding a “monopoly” on press access.
WHCA President Eugene Daniels released a statement later, revealing there were no prior discussions between the group and the White House about this announcement.
“In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps,” Daniels wrote.
Read the full statement below:
“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. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.
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.
Since its founding in 1914, the WHCA has sought to ensure that the reporters, photographers, producers and technicians who actually do the work – 365 days of every year – decide amongst themselves how these rotations are operated, so as to ensure consistent professional standards and fairness in access on behalf of all readers, viewers and listeners.
To be clear, the White House did not give the WHCA board a heads up or have any discussions about today’s announcements. But 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.”
At Tuesday’s press conference, Leavitt suggested the current White House “press operation” reflects 1925 more than 2025. Her announcement came on the heels of her celebrating a federal judge declining to restore the Associated Press’ full White House access. The outlet has been barred from events due to their refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” to go along with President Donald Trump’s recent declaration.
