Instead of restoring access to The Associated Press newswire, as required by a federal judge, the Trump administration is removing the wire position in the daily press corps rotation altogether.
The change appears designed to withstand legal scrutiny while still disadvantaging The AP, which was singled out by President Donald Trump earlier this year for still using the name Gulf of Mexico.
Ultimately the impacts will be felt by newswire customers, including local news outlets that rely on The AP for just-the-facts coverage because they don’t have White House correspondents of their own.
The AP said in a statement on Tuesday night: “The administration’s actions continue to disregard the fundamental American freedom to speak without government control or retaliation. This is a grave disservice to the American people.”
At issue is the composition of the so-called “press pool,” a small group of journalists who travel with the president and cover events on behalf of the entire press corps. Having a pool rotation is critical because many presidential events, like Oval Office photo ops and Air Force One Q&A’s, take