The Trump administration is embroiled in controversy after excluding the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), one of the major U.S. economic media outlets, from covering the president's trip.
The White House excluded WSJ reporters from the list of journalists accompanying President Trump's upcoming visit to Scotland, scheduled for the 25th. This is viewed as a retaliatory measure following WSJ's recent reporting on Trump's past relationship with sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt noted in a press meeting on the 21st (local time) that "the journalist from that outlet will not accompany this trip due to WSJ's false and defamatory actions."
Leavitt added, "No media outlet, whether WSJ or any other, is guaranteed the right to special coverage of the president's office, the private jet, or personal workspaces."
Earlier, WSJ reported on the 17th that President Trump sent nude paintings of women and a letter as a birthday gift to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003.
President Trump immediately denied the report, stating that "such letters or paintings do not exist." He then filed a defamation lawsuit seeking $10 billion (approximately 14 trillion won) against WSJ, its parent company News Corporation, and Rupert Murdoch, the honorary chairman.
The WSJ reporter excluded from this trip is different from the two journalists who previously reported on the Epstein allegations.
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) immediately protested.
WHCA President Weijia Jiang criticized in a statement that "the White House's attempt to punish a media outlet over its reporting is highly concerning and violates the First Amendment."
The Freedom of the Press Foundation also pointed out that it is "not only unconstitutional but also petty and vengeful behavior."
This is not the first time the Trump administration has excluded specific media outlets from reporting.
In February, the White House barred an Associated Press (AP) reporter from covering a trip for not following an administration directive to change 'Gulf of Mexico' to 'Gulf of America.' At that time, the court ordered AP's credentials to be restored, and instead of complying, the White House retaliated by eliminating the wire service's reserved seating.
Presidential trip coverage typically involves a small 'pool of reporters' who accompany the president, with various journalists representing the entire media rotating in and out for coverage.
Since February, the White House has been directly controlling the allocation of pool reporters, a role previously managed by WHCA.