Trump Administration Seizes Control of White House Press Pool Composition

The White House Correspondents’ Association is sidelined as the Trump administration reshapes press access policies, raising concerns over press freedom.

The Trump administration announced it will now determine the composition of the White House press pool, bypassing the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) for the first time in over a century.
Critics, including major media outlets and the WHCA, warn this move undermines press independence by allowing the government to select journalists covering the president.
The Associated Press remains banned from press events for refusing to adopt the administration's terminology, such as referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America.'
Pro-Trump media and conservative influencers are gaining increased access, while traditional outlets like CNN, NBC, and The New York Times face reduced roles or evictions from key offices.
Supporters of the policy argue it democratizes media access, but detractors draw parallels to restrictive press practices in authoritarian regimes like Vladimir Putin’s Russia.