The Trump White House has removed The Wall Street Journal from the presidential press pool after the outlet published what the administration calls a “fake and defamatory” report involving the late Jeffrey Epstein.
Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that WSJ reporter Tarini Parti was barred from joining President Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland over a story alleging Trump once sent Epstein a risqué birthday note — a claim the president has dismissed as “FAKE.”
“As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces,” Leavitt said. “Due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board.”
The White House press team emphasized that access is not a right, and that the administration is committed to including “as many voices as possible” from the press — not just what it called a “D.C.-based cabal.”
Trump filed a libel suit against The Wall Street Journal last week, calling the letter at the center of their article a forgery and accusing the outlet of knowingly pushing disinformation.
In response, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) accused the Trump administration of violating press freedoms. “Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media,” said WHCA President Weijia Jiang in a statement.
The White House previously revoked the WHCA’s authority to control access to the press pool, criticizing the group for acting as unelected gatekeepers. “That era is over,” Leavitt said when the change was made earlier this year.
The incident marks the second major media ejection of Trump’s second term. Earlier this year, the White House banned Associated Press reporters from all press pools after the outlet refused to acknowledge the newly renamed “Gulf of America.” That case is now being litigated in federal court.