The White House takes control of the press pool that covers Trump

The White House plans to determine which media have access to President Donald Trump, taking control of an association of journalists after more than a century.

The changes, announced by the press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Tuesday, mean that the White House will determine which media participate in the “group” that covers presidential events and shares material with other media.

The rotation of the pool reporters was previously determined by the Association of correspondents of the White House (WHCA), which said that the decision “tear the independence of a free press.”

The surprise announcement occurs when Associated Press struggles to restore access to presidential events after it was blocked.

“The White House press team in this administration will determine who can enjoy very privileged and limited access in spaces such as Air Force One and the Oval Office,” Leavitt said at a news conference on Tuesday.

She said the changes would allow “new media” points of sale, including transmission services and podcasts, “share this incredible responsibility.”

“The inherited media that have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but the new voices will also be welcome,” he said.

“(By) deciding which points of sale make up the limited press pool in the day to day, the White House will restore power to the US people,” Leavitt added.

Founded in 1914, the WHCA has historically handled some logistics around the president’s daily coverage, especially the “group” of reporters, which includes a camera team of one of the five main US networks, a radio correspondent and a group rotating of printing points.

The Whca has long said that the group is beneficial for both the president, which can quickly spread the news, as well as for the broadest means that receive reports from swimming pools, photographs, videos and audio.

The pool reporters are in service every day, including weekends and vacations, both in the White House and when the president travels.

BBC News is among the points of sale that participate in the radio group.

The WHCA expressed concern that the measure will benefit the White House by giving access to the media that he considers comprehensive or friendly.

“This movement does not return power to people: it gives power to the White House,” wrote Fox News Jacqui Heinrich, a member of the Whca Board, in X.

In his own statement, the WHCA said the decision “suggests that the government will choose journalists who cover the president.”

The Whca said it was not notified about the decision of the White House before the news session on Tuesday.

Leavitt, meanwhile, said that the Whca would no longer have the “monopoly” when controlling the pool.

President Trump was asked about the announcement at the Oval office later on Tuesday. “Let’s call those shots,” he said about the changes.

Earl this week, An American judge rejected a request from Associated Press To immediately restore its access to presidential events after the Trump administration blocked the agency in a dispute over the term “Gulfo de América”.

The news agency has refused to change its style of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America”, after President Trump renamed him with an executive order.

The AP argues that the prohibition is retaliation and violates the rights of the first amendment to freedom of expression and the press.

The prohibition has meant that the AP, on which hundreds of media are based, has not been able to access press events along with the rest of the pool in the White House and Air Force One.

A hearing has been scheduled for March 20.