Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, has decided not to attend the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) dinner on April 26. She shared this decision during a podcast with Sean Spicer, a former White House press secretary. Leavitt criticized the WHCA, describing it as a "monetized monopoly" that controls White House coverage and limits access to a select group of journalists.
Leavitt pointed out that the WHCA was originally formed because past presidents weren't holding enough press conferences, a situation she believes has changed under the current administration. She argued that the media landscape has evolved, and the WHCA has not been inclusive of new and independent journalists. As a result, the White House has opened up opportunities for a broader range of media voices to participate in press briefings, receiving over 15,000 applications for new media seats.
In February, the White House announced it would choose the 13 journalists allowed in restricted spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One, breaking with the WHCA's tradition of making these selections. This move has been criticized by Eugene Daniels, president of the WHCA board, as undermining press freedom. However, the White House defended the change as a modernization effort to include more than just legacy media.
The Trump administration also decided that the Associated Press, Bloomberg, and Reuters would no longer have permanent spots in the press pool, instead rotating a single position among them. This decision led to the AP being temporarily barred from the pool after it ignored an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
In other news, comedian Amber Ruffin has been chosen to headline this year's WHCA dinner. She expressed that while many might not want Trump to attend, he traditionally should. Meanwhile, the White House continues to receive feedback and applications as it reshapes its media access policies.