Trump Administration Reshapes White House Press Briefings, Raising Concerns About Access and Accountability

The White House press briefing room has undergone significant changes under the Trump administration. For decades, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) independently determined the 49 permanent seats in the room. However, the current administration is considering taking control, altering who covers the president and the questions asked. Ashley Wu, a New York Times graphics reporter, explains the implications of this shift. "The current White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, takes about 15 to 20 questions from journalists," Wu explains. "Most of these questions come from journalists in assigned seats, representing legacy media organizations like CNN, Reuters, The New York Times, and CBS News." However, a significant portion of questions now come from those standing on the sidelines, representing newer, nonpartisan media groups and right-wing outlets. This change is evident in a press briefing from March 26th, two days after The Atlantic's editor revealed he was added to a Signal chat discussing Trump officials' war plans. In this briefing, only nine people were called upon, eight from assigned seats, all focusing on the Signal chat incident. The single question not related to Signal came from Cara Castronuova of LindellTV, a media outlet founded by Mike Lindell of MyPillow. Her question was exceptionally favorable to the administration. This shift, according to reporters covering the White House, has diminished the press briefing room's value as a space for hard-hitting questions and holding the administration accountable.