🚨 LEAVITT FIRES BACK AT MEDIA CRITICS — BIDEN-TRUMP PRESS ACCESS BATTLE ERUPTS

WASHINGTON — White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt is defending the Trump administration’s changes to White House media access while pointing to a sharp contrast in presidential engagement with the press.

Speaking with Axios co-founder Mike Allen at an Axios event, Leavitt rejected criticism that the administration was restricting journalists. Instead, she argued that the White House was expanding access by opening opportunities for more outlets, including newer and independent media organizations.

Leavitt specifically challenged the role of the White House Correspondents’ Association in determining which journalists participate in the small press pool that travels with the president.

She argued that no single group of journalists should control access to the Oval Office or Air Force One, saying the administration wanted a wider range of outlets and voices covering the president.

The comments came amid controversy over the White House taking greater control over press-pool assignments. The Associated Press and other media organizations have raised concerns about the changes, while the administration has maintained that its approach is intended to broaden access.

Leavitt also pointed to differences between Donald Trump’s media engagement and that of former President Joe Biden.

A July 2024 Axios analysis, based on data compiled by presidential scholar Martha Joynt Kumar, found that Biden had participated in 164 press conferences and media interviews by June 30 of his fourth year, compared with 468 for Trump at the same point in his first term. The analysis also noted that Biden conducted substantially more informal sessions with small groups of reporters.

The debate highlights a broader fight over who gets access to the president—and how the rapidly changing media landscape should shape White House coverage.