White House Alters Press Corps to Accommodate Trump's Preferences, as Demonstrated through Zelensky Encounter
In an unconventional turn of events, the Oval Office witnessed a unique press conference on Monday, with pro-Trump pundit Brian Glenn, who works for Real America's Voice, being allowed into the event despite not being assigned to the press pool on Monday.
This incident is a reflection of the Trump administration's recent takeover of the press pool assignment function, which has been a century-old practice managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA). The administration's decision to control press access has polarized the White House press corps and undermined the press corps’ institutional norms.
The shift in power has resulted in several consequences:
- Restriction and Control: The White House now decides who gains access to the press pool, breaking from long-standing precedent and reducing the traditional independence of the press corps in self-regulating access.
- Retaliation and Exclusion: The administration has revoked the press pool positions of certain news outlets, like the Associated Press, as retaliation. However, court rulings have challenged some of these exclusions.
- Favoring Certain Media Outlets: The administration has replaced some legacy media offices with new outlets that generally support Trump’s views, reshaping the media landscape inside federal press coverage.
- Polarization and Tension: These moves have increased tensions between the White House press corps and the administration, with journalists accusing the administration of manipulating access to reward loyal outlets and punish critical ones.
During the event, Glenn, who infamously called out Zelensky for not wearing a suit during a previous visit to the White House, made a reference to the incident. Trump acknowledged the off-topic nature of Glenn's question and launched into a three and a half minute long monologue that touched upon various topics, including the president's 2020 election lies, transgender athletes, illegal immigration, and DC crime.
This led to a full-fledged outburst from Trump and Vice President JD Vance over Zelensky's supposed lack of "respect." Glenn, in an attempt to segue to an actual question, asked Zelensky about the potential for elections in Ukraine before teeing up Trump to rant about the media.
Johanna Maska, who worked in the Obama White House press office, noticed the makeup of the press pool and wrote about it. A White House correspondent criticized this practice, stating that it is not journalism.
The incident highlights the politicized nature of press access under the Trump administration, contributing to a more fragmented and adversarial dynamic between the White House and journalists covering it.
- The controversial decision by the Trump administration to control press access has led to a more politicized environment, favoring certain media outlets that align with the administration's views, such as Real America's Voice, as seen in the incident with pro-Trump pundit Brian Glenn being allowed into a press conference.
- The administration's manipulation of press access for political purposes has resulted in polarization and tension within the White House press corps, prompting concerns from journalists and former White House correspondents alike.
- The shifting landscape of media access under the Trump administration has also brought the issue of policy-and-legislation and general-news coverage into focus, as the administration's actions may undermine long-standing norms and practices in media, business, and politics.
