White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended changes to presidential media access, arguing the administration has expanded transparency rather than restricted it.

Leavitt made the remarks while speaking at an event hosted by Axios co-founder Mike Allen. She characterized the modifications to the White House press pool as an effort to broaden coverage beyond traditional outlets.

What Leavitt Said

“We view them as opening access to more outlets, more voices, more news, journalists and outlets,” Leavitt said of the changes. “We shouldn’t have a few outlets who have a monopoly over the briefing room or over that 13 person press pool that covers the president.”

She noted that thousands of outlets hold White House press credentials, with hundreds covering the beat daily. “Why should a single outlet have the privilege of being in that 13 person press pool every single day,” Leavitt asked.

Leavitt added that the administration has “created more transparency, more accessibility, and greater access for a broad variety of outlets and a diversity of journalists.” She emphasized that journalists continue receiving information about administration activities regularly.

The Media Response

Allen cited a statement from the White House Correspondents Association, which stated that “the government should not be able to control the independent media that covers it.” He asked whether Leavitt agreed with that principle.

The exchange reflected ongoing tension between the White House and press organizations over access protocols and pool arrangements for covering the president.

This story has been updated. CNN’s team contributed to this report.