Press Freedom: Trump Attacks Wire Services In Retaliation Over Critical Coverage
India-West News Desk
WASHINGTON, DC – The Trump administration has removed leading wire services, including Reuters and Bloomberg News, from the permanent White House press pool, a move that further tightens the administration’s control over real-time media access to the president.
The decision, announced April 15, comes shortly after the administration lost a court case brought by the Associated Press (AP), which challenged its earlier exclusion from the press pool.
Previously, AP, Reuters, and Bloomberg held standard spots in the small group of roughly 10 journalists who accompany the president at events and on trips. Under the new policy, wire services will be rotated among 30 other print outlets, losing their daily presence.
The change has drawn strong criticism from the media industry, which relies on wire services for real-time news dissemination—especially smaller outlets and financial markets that depend on their updates.
“It is essential to democracy that the public have access to independent, impartial and accurate news about their government,” a Reuters spokesperson said. “Any steps by the U.S. government to limit access to the president threatens that principle.”
The AP called the move “a grave disservice to the American people.”
“We are deeply disappointed that the administration has chosen to restrict the access of all wire services…rather than reinstate The Associated Press,” said AP spokesperson Lauren Easton.
Tensions escalated in February when the White House barred AP after it refused to adopt President Trump’s directive to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” A federal judge later ruled that the administration had retaliated against the AP for its editorial stance, likely violating the First Amendment.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the new arrangement, saying her office would now decide which outlets join the press pool each day. The goal, she said, is to ensure “the president’s message reaches targeted audiences” and that outlets with relevant expertise are present.
A White House official told Reuters that selection criteria would be content-neutral, but concerns remain over editorial independence and transparency.
Despite a court order restoring AP’s access to pool events, the agency says it is still being excluded from Oval Office briefings and presidential travel. In a court filing on April 16, AP lawyers accused the White House of defying the judge’s order, prompting further legal action.
The administration has appealed the ruling, and a federal appeals court will hear arguments on April 17.
The AP maintains it will continue to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its historic name, which has been in use for over 400 years. As a global agency operating in nearly 100 countries, the AP says its standards must remain consistent and independent. (with Reuters inputs)
