The White House has announced a new policy restricting journalists’ access to senior communications offices within the West Wing, including the Press Secretary’s office, without prior appointments. The National Security Council (NSC) cited national security concerns as the rationale for the change, stating that the move is necessary to protect sensitive materials and ensure coordination between National Security Council staff and White House communications staff.
This policy change marks a significant shift from previous practices, where credentialed journalists could access Room 140, also known as ‘Upper Press,’ on short notice to speak with senior officials. Room 140 is located near the Oval Office and is a key area for communications staff, including Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Under the new rules, journalists must obtain an appointment with an authorized White House staff member to access the space.
The decision has sparked immediate criticism from the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), with its current president, CBS News reporter Weijia Jiang, stating that the group opposes any effort to limit journalists from areas within the communications operations of the White House. The WHCA argues that the new restrictions would impact reporters’ ability to question officials, ensure transparency, and hold the government to account.
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the policy, claiming that journalists had been caught secretly recording video and audio in offices and wandering into restricted areas. He stated that some reporters had been caught eavesdropping on private, closed-door meetings, with Cabinet Secretaries routinely coming into their office for private meetings only to be ambushed by reporters waiting outside.
The White House’s move is not isolated, as it follows similar recent actions by the Pentagon. The Department of Defense has introduced a new policy requiring journalists to pledge to adhere to new press restrictions or face the potential loss of their media credentials and Pentagon workspaces. The policy includes provisions that journalists may be deemed security risks and could have their press badges revoked if they ask employees to disclose information that has not been officially released, even if it is unclassified.
At least 30 news outlets, including Fox News, have refused to agree to the Pentagon’s media restrictions, asserting that the policy represents a threat to press freedom and hinders their ability to conduct independent newsgathering. Additionally, the Trump administration earlier this year removed Reuters, The Associated Press, and Bloomberg News from the permanent ‘pool’ of reporters covering the president, although those outlets may still be included on a sporadic basis.
Historically, similar restrictions were enacted during the Clinton administration in 1993. However, those measures were later rescinded following fierce backlash. The current restrictions are seen as part of a broader trend of the Trump administration tightening control over media access in the White House, raising questions about the impact on press freedom and transparency in government operations.