The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects press freedom, but early Tuesday, the press became less free thanks to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. During a press conference, she dropped a bombshell that left journalists reeling. But the press has been under continual attack by Donald “fake news” Trump, so this gambit was really just the next step for an administration that seeks to destroy the Constitution.
So, what was Leavitt’s announcement? She told journalists that the White House Correspondents’ Association will no longer decide which outlets are allowed in press pools.
She first discussed a federal judge’s decision not to restore the Associated Press’s full access to the White House, announcing that the “White House team” will decide which outlets will be allowed to take part in press events, Mediaite reports. The White House banned the Associated Press from events after the respected outlet refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” something that the Trump administration has tried to force on us.
So what “news” outlets will be allowed in? Fox News? Newsmax? OANN (One America News Network)? Each one of these is right-leaning and shares pretty dubious content.
This is the beginning of the end for freedom of the press. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool. It’s worth remembering that Adolf Hitler had a press secretary, Otto Dietrich. Unlike Elon Musk, Leavitt hasn’t done the notorious Hitler salute, but she’s marching behind him and Trump in lockstep.
Stay up-to-date with the latest news!
Subscribe and start recieving our daily emails.
And on Tuesday, she told the press “Fear not,” then added “Legacy” media outlets will continue to be on a rotation, telling reporters:
“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. Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team. Legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades will still be allowed to join, fear not, but we will also be offering the privilege to well-deserving outlets who have never been allowed to share in this awesome responsibility. Just like we added a new media seat in this briefing room, legacy media outlets who have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but new voices are going to be welcomed in as well. As part of these changes, we will continue the rotation amongst the five major television networks to ensure the president’s remarks are heard far and wide around this world. We will add additional streaming services which reach different audiences than traditional cable and broadcast.”
This means that press outlets will be allowed in as long as they toe the line. No one had better call The Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of Mexico. A president whose nose gets bent out of shape over something this minor can now crush press freedoms under his thumb. That, folks, is where we’re at.
Leavitt did not elaborate on which new outlets will be allowed but said plans are to bring in more radio hosts and outlets that have “long been denied the privilege” of being part of the pool.
This was a stunning blow for the WHCA, one source familiar with the situation told Mediate. WHCA President Eugene confirmed the bad news in a statement responding to the White House.
WHCA STATEMENT ON WHITE HOUSE ANNOUNCEMENT pic.twitter.com/QVQnwSuydj
— Eugene Daniels (@EugeneDaniels2) February 25, 2025
Many media members were stunned by the news, and some jumped on social media to show their support for the WHCA, a 501(C)(3) organization staffed by journalists.
Important to note, though: None of this will stop professional news outlets from covering this president in the same full, fair, tough and unflinching way that we always have. Government efforts to punish disfavored organizations will not stop independent journalism.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 25, 2025
Leavitt: I'm proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people.. The White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team pic.twitter.com/DqV1fFrNhh
— Acyn (@Acyn) February 25, 2025
Leavitt went on to spread some nonsense about the WHCA holding a “monopoly over the privilege of press access.” Yeah, except now the Trump administration will hold a monopoly over this. This is when such an administration is chipping away at the rights we have all become accustomed to.
“This administration is shaking up Washington in more ways than one,” Leavitt told reporters. “This is what we are elected to do. It is beyond time that the white house press operation reflects the American people in 2025, not 1925. A select group of D.C.-based journalists should no longer have a monopoly over the privilege of press access to service seats at this highly coveted table. Deciding which outlets make up the limited press pool on a day-to-day basis, the white house will restore power to the American people who President Trump was elected to serve.”
However, Daniels can see behind the pseudospeak that he sharply condemned the Trump administration’s actions, saying the move “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,” he wrote.
Any comparisons between the White House and the Third Reich will be purely incidental.
Featured image via YouTube screengrab
