The White House has imposed a new restriction on journalists, limiting their ability to access the portion of the West Wing that includes Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt’s office unless they first secure an appointment. This move is the latest in a series of efforts by the administration to tighten control and scrutiny over journalists covering the executive branch.
Previously, credentialed media members were allowed to walk freely from the briefing room up to an area known as “Upper Press,” which houses the offices of Leavitt and White House Communications Director Steven Cheung. This relative accessibility—allowing reporters to knock on senior staff doors for immediate questions and clarity on the President’s frequently shifting policies—had been a standard practice across multiple consecutive administrations, including those of Donald Trump’s first term, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush.
National Security Cited for Restriction
In a memo outlining the immediate change, Leavitt and Cheung cited national security as the primary justification for the new West Wing restriction.
They explained that White House communications staff are now directing National Security Council communications and, as a result, routinely engage with sensitive material.
“In order to protect such material, and maintain coordination between National Security Council Staff and White House Communications Staff, members of the press are no longer permitted to access Room 140 without prior approval in the form of an appointment with an authorized White House Staff Member,” the memo stated.
The restriction will specifically limit the informal, immediate interactions reporters rely on to question the senior press officials most familiar with President Donald Trump’s thinking. Media will, however, maintain access to the lower-floor press offices located just off the briefing room, which are staffed by lower-ranking press aides.
Broader Trend of Restricting Press
This action is part of a wider pattern of restricting press access across the administration:
- Associated Press Pool Ban: Earlier this year, the White House kicked the Associated Press out of the pool after the wire service declined to change its style guide for the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
- Pool Control: The administration subsequently seized control of pool arrangements from the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) and now routinely selects which outlets will cover the president most closely each day.
- Pentagon Demands: Concurrently, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth at the Pentagon recently demanded that news organizations either sign on to new reporting limits or surrender their credentials, thus losing the ability to report full-time from the building. Several major national news organizations refused to comply.
White House Correspondents’ Association Opposition
Weijia Jiang, President of the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), issued a strong statement unequivocally opposing the new rule.
“The White House Correspondents’ Association unequivocally opposes any effort to limit journalists from areas within the communications operations of the White House that have long been open for newsgathering, including the press secretary’s office,” Jiang stated. “The new restrictions hinder the press corps’ ability to question officials, ensure transparency, and hold the government accountable, to the detriment of the American public.”