(TheIndependentStar.com) – Fox News has joined the chorus of leftist cries after the Trump administration decided to wrestle control of the press pool from the entrenched Washington media elite.
In a bold move to restore access to Americans nationwide, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House will now determine which outlets cover the president.
“The White House press team, in this administration, will determine who gets to enjoy the very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office,” Leavitt explained.
“A select group of D.C.-based journalists should no longer have a monopoly of press access at the White House,” she added.
The announcement marks a significant shift in how White House media access has traditionally operated.
For decades, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) has controlled which reporters gain the privilege of direct access to the president and administration officials.
The change means the WHCA will no longer have a say, which sparked discontent among many, even at Fox News.
Leavitt framed the change as a win for Americans who have long felt left out of the national conversation.
“I’m proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch television shows, and who listen to your radio stations,” Leavitt stated.
The administration will prioritize including a broader range of media voices, mainly digital and streaming platforms that reach millions of Americans but have been historically excluded from the press pool system.
This modernization effort aims to connect the White House directly with citizens across the country, bypassing the traditional media gatekeepers.
The decision comes because the administration is willing to challenge media norms.
Recently, the Associated Press (AP) was barred from pooled events following a dispute over the naming of the Gulf of America.
The AP has since filed a lawsuit claiming First Amendment violations, with a court hearing scheduled for next month.
Surprisingly, Fox News White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich broke ranks and criticized the decision.
“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,” Heinrich claimed on social media.
Heinrich’s perspective aligns with WHCA president Eugene Daniels, who argued, “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.”
However, what Heinrich and other critics overlook is that the current system has already failed the American people.
The WHCA has long operated as an exclusive club that limits access to establishment media while shutting out alternative voices that millions of Americans trust for their news.
The press pool system itself is a limited group of reporters who cover presidential events and share information with other outlets.
By wresting control from the WHCA, the administration can ensure a more diverse array of media perspectives, including those that have been unfairly marginalized despite their significant audiences.
BREAKING: Press Sec Karoline Leavitt @PressSec announced the White House Correspondents Association will no longer determine the press pool.
“White House Press Pool will now be determined by the White House Press Team.” pic.twitter.com/mBDzJBHmRQ
— Dasha Burns (@DashaBurns) February 25, 2025
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