A spokeswoman for the White House Karoline Leavitt announced that she would choose the composition of Presidential Pool, i.e. a group of journalists serving the president's actions. Until now, this was the responsibility of the Association of Correspondents in the White House of WHCA, which accuses the administration of an attack on the independence of the press.
– It is high time for the press pool of the White House to reflect the media customs of the Americans in 2025 – said the spokeswoman for the White House Karoline Leavitt during Tuesday's press briefing, announcing a new order.
As she announced, the change is to give reporters of new media a chance, from outside the “narrow group of Washington journalists” who have so far served events in the White House.
For decades, the composition of POOL was decided by the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) Association, and there were several dozen journalists in the group of group participants who participated in teams on the basis of rotation.
Pool is invited where most accredited journalists have access. Reporters included in it are obliged to convey signal and reports about these events to other media, e.g. from events in the oval office or on board Air Force One.
Donald Trump in the oval officeFrancis Chung/PAP/EPA
The White House movement “hits the independence of the free press”
The change occurs after POOL was excluded from Associated Press journalists as a punishment for refusing to use the new name of the Mexican Bay, which was renamed Trump into the Mexican Bay.
Whca announced that the change was not previously announced or consulted and condemned movement as an attack on the independence of the press.
“This movement hits the independence of the free press in the United States. It suggests that the government will elect journalists who will report the president. In a free country, leaders cannot choose their own press corps,” wrote in a statement the president of WHCA Eugene Daniels in a statement.
The decision was also criticized by other journalists, including the Fox News correspondent, a favorable station Donald Trump.
“This movement does not give power back to people,” he gives it to the White House, “wrote Jacqui Heinrich's journalist. Other journalists compared the White House movement to the Kremlin's policy, although similar practices are also used in other countries.
AP excluded from the service of events with the participation of the president
The change occurs after the Associated Press agency has been excluded from Popol for a punishment for refusing to use the new name of the Mexican Bay, renamed by Trump into the American Bay.
AP sued the White House in this case, but on Monday the federal judge did not agree to temporarily block the administration decision while examining the complaint. The White House announced it with his victory and noted that participation in POOL is a privilege, not a law.
Source of the main photo: Francis Chung/PAP/EPA