The Trump White House is fighting back. They won’t let Democrat leaning journalists stomp all over them.
And Trump’s White House press secretary goes scorched earth on this Leftist reporter.
In a move that has ignited fierce debate, the Trump administration has announced a significant change to how media access is managed at the White House. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt declared that the White House will now determine which journalists are granted access to the press pool, a role traditionally held by the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) for over a century.
This decision has led to a heated exchange between Leavitt and veteran New York Times reporter Peter Baker. Baker, drawing from his experience as a former Moscow correspondent, likened the administration’s actions to early Kremlin tactics under Vladimir Putin’s leadership.
“Having served as a Moscow correspondent in the early days of Putin’s reign, this reminds me of how the Kremlin took over its own press pool and made sure that only compliant journalists were given access,” Baker wrote on social media platform X.
Having served as a Moscow correspondent in the early days of Putin's reign, this reminds me of how the Kremlin took over its own press pool and made sure that only compliant journalists were given access.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 25, 2025
Leavitt swiftly responded, dismissing Baker’s comparison:
“Give me a break, Peter,” she wrote. “Moments after you tweeted this, the President invited journalists into the Oval and took questions for nearly an hour. Your hysterical reaction to our long overdue and much-needed change to an outdated organization is precisely why we made it.”
She further criticized Baker, stating, “Gone are the days where left-wing stenographers posing as journalists, such as yourself, dictate who gets to ask what.”
Give me a break, Peter.🤡
Moments after you tweeted this, the President invited journalists into the Oval and took questions for nearly an hour.
Your hysterical reaction to our long overdue and much needed change to an outdated organization is precisely why we made it.
Gone… https://t.co/dsR4fLWjpD
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) February 25, 2025
The New York Times defended its reporter, issuing a statement that read: “The White House’s move to handpick favored reporters to observe the president — and exclude anyone whose coverage the administration may not like — is an effort to undermine the public’s access to independent, trustworthy information about the most powerful person in America.”
This shake-up follows a recent controversy where the administration removed Associated Press reporters from presidential coverage due to the news agency’s refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of the Gulf of Mexico.
Despite the administration’s assurances that legacy media outlets will not be excluded, critics argue that this move could potentially limit press freedom and independent journalism.
Baker warned that the change was intended to discourage tough questioning, but maintained that professional news outlets would continue their rigorous coverage of the administration.
Leftist News Outlets Missing The Point
Leftists media outlets like the New York Times don’t realize that being invited to the press pool is a privilege not a right. And it’s not like this sort of thing hasn’t been done before.
During the Obama and Biden administrations, various news outlets were not invited to the press pool, a move that wasn’t met with as much outrage as what we’re seeing right now.
This is just another example of radical Leftist journalists feeling more important than they actually are. This mindset has led to a sense of entitlement from journalists like Peter Baker.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has taken countless questions from reporters so far during his first month of his second term as president. Former President Joe Biden took a fraction of the questions during the same span. Yet the media seems rather silent about that.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
