White House Shake-Up: Wire Services Lose Permanent Press Pool Access

The White House has announced that wire services like Reuters and Bloomberg News will no longer hold permanent slots in the press pool covering President Trump. This decision follows a court challenge by the Associated Press, which was previously barred for editorial decisions. Wire services will join a larger rotation with other outlets.

The Trump administration has altered its press pool policy, removing permanent slots for wire services Reuters and Bloomberg, according to a Tuesday announcement. This move allows the White House to exercise greater control over press coverage of the president.

This policy shift comes in the wake of a court ruling against the White House, which ordered it to reinstate the Associated Press into the press pool after previous exclusion. Wire services will now rotate with about 30 other news outlets, breaking from a long-held tradition of close presidential coverage.

Opposition looms over the decision, with wire services voicing concerns about the impact on democracy and impartial news coverage. Reuters emphasizes the public need for access to accurate government news, while AP criticizes the administration's restriction of wire service access. The White House, appealing a judge's decision, continues to defend its newfound discretion over pool inclusion.

(With inputs from agencies.)