White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended modifications to media access protocols at the White House, characterizing them as expansions rather than restrictions on journalist coverage.
Speaking at an Axios event, Leavitt addressed concerns about altered press pool procedures and contrasted the current administration’s media engagement with the Biden presidency. The changes affect the daily 13-person press pool that covers the president.
What Leavitt Said
“I don’t view them as restrictions,” Leavitt responded when questioned about wire service access. “We view them as opening access to more outlets, more voices, more news journalists and outlets.”
Leavitt explained that the modifications allow more print outlets to participate in the rotating press pool. “There are thousands of outlets who have White House press credentials. There are hundreds that actually show up every day and cover the beat,” she said. “Why should a single outlet have the privilege of being in that 13 person press pool every single day?”
When host Mike Allen referenced a White House Correspondents Association statement asserting that government should not control independent media coverage, Leavitt countered that small groups of journalists should not determine which outlets gain access. “We’ve just given more spots to more outlets and more voices,” she stated.
Outlet Access Claims
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,” Leavitt said. “But we continue to do that.”
Allen raised concerns about restrictions on wire service photography, citing the iconic photograph of President Trump after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania, as an example of historical documentation that might be lost.
Comparison to Biden Administration
Leavitt pointed to Biden’s limited media engagement during his presidency as a contrast to Trump’s accessibility. 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 only 164 compared to Trump’s 468 at similar timelines.
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.
