CNN
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When the White House took control of the so-called “press pool” that accompanies the president, journalists worried that the Trump administration would use that power to punish news outlets.
First it was the Associated Press; now it’s the Wall Street Journal.
On Monday, the White House said it will remove the Journal from one of the coveted press seats on President Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland.
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the change was made “due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct,” a reference to the publication’s recent story about Trump and Jeffrey Epstein.
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The July 17 story described a collection of letters gifted to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, including a note bearing Trump’s name and an outline of a naked woman. Trump filed a lawsuit the next day claiming defamation “because no authentic letter or drawing exists.”
Now the White House is using a tool at its disposal — control over access to Trump — to retaliate against the Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper.
A Journal reporter (who was not involved with the Epstein birthday letter story) was slated to serve in the press pool during the president’s trip to his Scottish golf courses.
Until earlier this year, pool assignments were determined by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), an independent group that represents the press corps. However, in February, Leavitt cut the group out and took control of the pool, giving the administration a new form of leverage.
The pool is a small group of journalists who travel with the president and cover events on behalf of the entire press corps. Having a pool rotation is critical because many presidential events, such as Oval Office photo ops and Air Force One Q&As, often take place in small group settings.
Leavitt cut the correspondents’ association out of the picture while Trump battled the AP over its labeling of the Gulf of Mexico, which Trump directed the US government to rename as the Gulf of America.
The AP is a global news outlet, so its stories still refer to the Gulf of Mexico while also acknowledging Trump’s order. That prompted a months-long legal dispute over press access.
“As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces,” Leavitt said Monday.
“Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool to cover the President’s trip to Scotland,” she added, before saying the Journal would not be one of them.
The White House did not immediately respond to a follow-up question about which news outlet will take the Journal’s place.
A spokesperson for the Journal declined to comment on the retaliatory act. But in response to inquiries about the lawsuit last week, a spokesperson said, “We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit.”
“This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment,” said WHCA president Weijia Jiang in a statement.
“Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media,” she added. “We strongly urge the White House to restore the Wall Street Journal to its previous position in the pool and aboard Air Force One for the President’s upcoming trip to Scotland. The WHCA stands ready to work with the administration to find a quick resolution.”
First Amendment organizations also swiftly condemned the White House’s decision. “It’s unconstitutional — not to mention thin-skinned and vindictive — for a president to rescind access to punish a news outlet for publishing a story he tried to kill,” said Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
“But hopefully the Journal reporters who were planning to join Trump for his golf trip are relieved that they can spend their newfound free time investigating more important stories, from Trump’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein to his unprecedented efforts to bully the press.”
