On Tuesday, the White House announced it was taking control of the press pool covering President Trump.
This move makes the administration the first in decades to control which reporters can question the president.
In response, WHCA President Eugene Daniels announced the board would stop distributing pool reports from the chosen correspondents.
The WHCA, which used to set the pool rotation, said the decision “tears at the independence of a free press.”
Trump’s press secretary justified modernization
The press secretary argued that DC-based journalists should no longer control White House press access.
She said, “It’s beyond time that the White House press operation reflects the media habits of the American people in 2025, not 1925.”
Trump appointed a judge who denied the Associated Press’ request to be reinstated to pool presidential events, prompting this announcement.
The Trump administration banned AP reporters from Air Force One and the Oval Office for using “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America.”
Trump linked this to the press pool decision announced by Leavitt on Tuesday.
“We’re going to be now calling those shots,” Trump said.
Media experts are concerned, as this gives Trump the authority to decide who covers him. Jon Marshall, a media history professor at Northwestern University, called the move “a dangerous move for democracy.”
Will control of the press undermine the independence of journalism?
According to the AP, the prohibition violates the First Amendment’s guarantees of press and speech freedom and is punitive.
The prohibition has blocked the Associated Press, relied on by many news sites, from attending White House and Air Force One press conferences.
The decision was also criticized by New York Times journalist Peter Baker, saying, “Every president of both parties going back generations subscribed to the principle that a president doesn’t pick the press corps that is allowed in the room to ask him questions,” he tweeted. “Trump has just declared that he will.”
The press pool traditionally ensures equal access for reporters to cover the president and hold the administration accountable.
The administration risks controlling the narrative and limiting viewpoints by choosing which reporters get tighter access.
This could hinder the press from independently reporting on the government, which is vital for democracy’s accountability and transparency.
They set the hearing date for March 20.
Congressman Proposes Ban on Chinese Student Visas 
Celine Dion has warned fans about her AI-generated songs 
Zelensky is ready to negotiate for mineral deals 
Trump’s green card plan for foreign graduates sparks controversy 
Nepal: Democracy to Monarchy? 
Trump threatened Russia after a week of conciliatory statements