Trump Overrides WHCA, Picks His Own Press Corps in Latest Dictatorial Move

In 2017, nearly a year before his death, Republican Sen. John McCain defended the media against attacks by then-President Donald Trump, cautioning that suppressing the free press is “how dictators get started.” McCain, a frequent Trump critic, responded to Trump’s then-claim that the media was “the enemy of the American people” by stressing the importance of a free press to democracy and the post-World War II international order.

Now, in 2025, under a repressive and vengeful second Trump term, McCain’s warning has come into sharp focus. 

For the first time in a century, the White House — not the independent White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) — will determine which news outlets are included in the press pool. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the change Tuesday, saying, “Legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades will still be allowed to join … but we will also be offering the privilege to well-deserving outlets, who have never been allowed to share in this awesome responsibility.”

The decision follows a lawsuit filed by The Associated Press (AP), which was barred from covering certain events and traveling with the president. The WHCA filed a friend-of-the-court brief supporting the AP. In a court filing on Monday, the White House argued that access to the president is not “a constitutional right.” Citing the AP’s mention of its press pool role 52 times in its 18-page lawsuit, the administration said it would now control the selection process.

More than a dozen reporters, photographers and producers traditionally rotate daily through the White House press pool, providing real-time updates on the president’s movements and statements. The WHCA’s print press pool, comprising over 30 news organizations, has long served as the public’s primary source of direct information from the Oval Office and presidential events. 

Pool reporters have historically covered pivotal moments such as President John F. Kennedy’s assassination, the attempt on President Ronald Reagan’s life, and the historic Barack Obama presidency.

Eugene Daniels, president of the WHCA, condemned the administration’s unilateral action. 

“This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States. It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president. In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps,” Daniels said. He added that the WHCA has expanded pool membership for generations to include new and emerging outlets.

“Since its founding in 1914, the WHCA has sought to ensure that the reporters, photographers, producers, and technicians who actually do the work — 365 days of every year — decide amongst themselves how these rotations are operated,” Daniels declared. “To be clear, the White House did not give the WHCA board a heads up or have any discussions about today’s announcements. But the WHCA will never stop advocating for comprehensive access, full transparency, and the right of the American public to read, listen to, and watch reports from the White House, delivered without fear or favor.”

McCain’s 2017 remarks remain prescient. “We need a free press. We must have it. It’s vital,” he said. “They get started by suppressing free press. In other words, a consolidation of power. When you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press.”