White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended modifications to media access protocols at the White House, characterizing the changes as expanding rather than restricting journalist coverage.
Leavitt addressed concerns about altered press pool procedures during an Axios event hosted by co-founder Mike Allen. She contrasted the current administration’s media engagement with the previous Biden presidency, arguing the changes provide more outlets with access to cover the president.
What Leavitt Said
When questioned whether restrictions on wire service access represented a loss for historical documentation, Leavitt responded, “I don’t view them as restrictions. We view them as opening access to more outlets, more voices, more news journalists and outlets.”
She explained that the changes allow more print outlets to participate in the daily 13-person press pool that covers the president. “There are thousands of outlets who have White House press credentials. There are hundreds that actually show up every day and cover the beat,” Leavitt said. “Why should a single outlet have the privilege of being in that 13 person press pool every single day?”
Leavitt emphasized that no outlets had been barred from coverage. “If we were trying to create positive press for the president, we wouldn’t allow some of these outlets in, but we continue to do that,” she said.
Comparison to Biden Administration
Leavitt pointed to Biden’s limited media engagement during his presidency as a point of contrast. An Axios analysis published in July found that Biden held fewer press conferences and media interviews than any of the last seven presidents at the same point in their term, with 164 compared to Trump’s 468 at similar timelines.
When Allen referenced a White House Correspondents Association statement asserting that government should not control independent media coverage, Leavitt countered that a small group of journalists should not determine which outlets gain access. “We’ve just given more spots to more outlets and more voices,” she stated.
Digital Age Strategy
Leavitt attributed the administration’s approach to modernizing coverage for a digital age. “The president ran a nontraditional media campaign, which propelled him back to the highest office in the land, and we felt it was our responsibility to continue that in our coverage at the White House,” she said.
