Outrage Ensues After Karoline Leavitt Says White House Will Control Press Pool Invitations

As Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared, the White House will choose the news outlets in the press pool from now on.

Karoline Leavitt: “For decades, a group of D.C.-based journalists — the White House Correspondents’ Association — has long dictated which journalists get to ask questions of the president of the United States in these most intimate spaces. Not anymore.”

“I am proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people,” she added.

She went on to say that the White House press team would determine who will staff the press pool but claimed that “legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades” will be allowed to join.

Cue the outrage:

Trump White House on the way to establishing its own version of a Kremlin press pool, approved media only… https://t.co/rL1Mt5LA9j

— Susan Glasser (@sbg1) February 25, 2025

This move does not give the power back to the people – it gives power to the White House. The WHCA is democratically elected by the full-time White House press corps.

WHCA has determined pools for decades because only representatives FROM our outlets can determine resources all… https://t.co/GeGrckDYVt

— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) February 25, 2025

WHCA president @EugeneDaniels2 on WH move to take over press pool: “This move tears at the independence of a free press…It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps.” pic.twitter.com/OIos7Jrnlu

— Matt Viser (@mviser) February 25, 2025

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. Trump has just declared that he will.

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 25, 2025

Having served as a Moscow correspondent in the early days of Putin’s reign, this reminds me of how the Kremlin took over its own press pool and made sure that only compliant journalists were given access.

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 25, 2025