WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump administration’s changes to presidential press access during a discussion with Axios co-founder Mike Allen, arguing that the revised approach is designed to broaden participation across the media industry rather than restrict journalists.
The remarks came amid an ongoing dispute over who determines which news organizations receive access to President Donald Trump during events with limited space, including Oval Office appearances and presidential travel. The changes have raised questions about the relationship between the White House, established media organizations and the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), which traditionally coordinated the presidential press pool.
Speaking at an Axios event in Washington, Leavitt rejected the suggestion that the administration’s policies represented restrictions on journalism.