On Monday, the association representing journalists who report from the White House voiced concerns regarding the Trump administrationโs decision to exclude any wire service news reporters from accompanying President Trump on Air Force One during his Middle East visit.
Journalists from major news services such as Bloomberg, The Associated Press, and Reuters were notably absent from this trip, during which presidents traditionally engage with the press.
The White House Correspondentsโ Association emphasized the importance of these wire services, stating, โTheir reports are distributed quickly to thousands of news outlets and millions of readers worldwide every day, ensuring everyone has equal access to presidential coverage.โ They argued that this policy change undermines the American publicโs right to receive prompt updates on presidential activities.
The exclusion of these reporters comes amid ongoing legal tensions between the White House and the AP. The dispute began when the AP was denied access to cover particular โpoolโ events after refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, as recommended by an executive order from President Trump.
Following a court ruling related to this case, the White House introduced a new media strategy. This policy now places wire services on par with print reporters in a rotational system for limited spots on Air Force One and for events in the Oval Office. However, a small number of such key spots are made available. For instance, a Reuters correspondent had the opportunity to travel with the president during his attendance at Pope Francisโ funeral.
Despite these ongoing issues, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt did not respond to requests for comments on the matter.