Incident
United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025
On February 25, 2025, the White House announced that it would decide which journalists join the press pool, the small rotating group of reporters who cover the president of the United States in spaces such as the Oval Office and Air Force One and share what they gather with other outlets. The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), the organization of reporters who cover the president, said that for more than a century "working journalists" and "not government officials" had "determined pool rotation procedures." As of 2026-09-22, the White House selects the pool, according to the Associated Press.1
What happened
On February 25, 2025, the White House announced that it would select the journalists who join the limited-space press pool that covers the president of the United States in the Oval Office, on Air Force One and at other small venues. The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), the organization of reporters who cover the president, and its member outlets had managed the rotation for more than a century.123
The WHCA president, Eugene Daniels, said the association had not been consulted and that the change "suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president." The WHCA said it would continue to press for comprehensive access and full transparency.123
The announcement came nine days after the White House began excluding the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One (see the February 2025 entry).123
Status as of 2026-09-22: In effect. The White House "now picks and chooses which members of the media make up the pool," according to the Associated Press.3
What reason was given
Stated justificationThe White House asserted its authority over access to spaces such as the Oval Office and Air Force One. It has not given a further reason for taking over pool selection (as of 2026-09-22).123
What changed for reporting
The White House, rather than the working press corps, decides which outlets rotate into the pool that covers the president in small venues, and the pool has included outlets that were not part of the previous rotation (as of 2026-09-22).2
Timeline
2025
Who acted
| Name | Role in this incident | Office at the time |
|---|---|---|
| Donald Trump | ordered | President of the United States |
| Eugene Daniels | other | President, White House Correspondents' Association (2025) |
| White House Correspondents' Association | other | Professional association of accredited White House reporters |
| White House Press Office | announced | Office of the White House Press Secretary |
Sources
- WHCA Statement on White House Announcement on Press Pool archived copy
- White House shakes up press pool archived copy
- What is the White House pool? These days, it's a battleground between Trump and free press rights archived copy
Claims and evidence
Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.
- The White House announced it would take over press pool selection.
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.
WHCA Statement on White House Announcement on Press Pool archived copy, White House Correspondents' Association, 2025-02-25.Claim 6, checked 2026-09-22. - Pool composition, previously set by the WHCA board, is now set by the White House.
for over a century, working journalists—not government officials—have determined pool rotation procedures
WHCA Statement on White House Announcement on Press Pool archived copy, White House Correspondents' Association, 2025-02-25.Claim 7, checked 2026-09-22. - The change in pool control has not been reversed; the White House continued to select the pool as of September 2026.
Last year, the Trump White House upended a decades-long tradition of an independent association of journalists selecting members of the pool. The White House now picks and chooses which members of the media make up the pool.
What is the White House pool? These days, it's a battleground between Trump and free press rights archived copy, AP (via MPR News), 2026-09-22.Claim 95, checked 2026-09-22.