White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt mentioned she plans to skip the White House Correspondents'Association (WHCA) dinner scheduled for April 26.
Leavitt disclosed this information when he appeared on a podcast with Sean Spicer, who was President Donald Trump's White House press secretary during the initial half-year period of 2017.
"I won’t be present at the White House Correspondents' Dinner, which is big news for 'The Sean Spicer Show,'” Leavitt stated.
Leavitt stated that the WHCA has genuinely turned into a monetized entity. control of the White House And the coverage of the President of the United States in America."
Trump Views Strike on Iran-Supported Houthis in Yemen as Large-Scale Operation Continues, New White House Images Show
"She mentioned on the podcast released Friday that this group consists of reporters who've been documenting the activities at the White House for many years,” she explained. “The founders established this entity due to the fact that the leaders back then weren't holding sufficient news briefings. However, I believe we no longer face such an issue with today’s administration; thus, journalism’s focus has changed significantly, particularly considering our current digital era.”
USE THE FOX NEWS APPLICATION
Leavitt stated that the WHCA has functioned as an “insular circle of reporters covering this administration; they haven’t exactly embraced newcomers, alternative media outlets, or freelance journalists warmly. Hence, we believe it’s crucial to broaden our journalistic reach and redefine who can join the ranks of those thirteen individuals selected for the press pool, decide who will get the opportunity to pose inquiries directly to the President within the Oval Office or during flights aboard Air Force One.”
“Ever since we implemented this new system for managing the daily rotation, numerous fresh voices and platforms that were previously not included in this select and exclusive circle of reporters now get to participate in these highly coveted opportunities and report on this administration,” Leavitt noted, highlighting that over 15,000 individuals have applied through the White House for a spot in the press briefing room as part of this change.
KAROLINE LEAVITT QUASHES AP REPORTER FOLLOWING A "OFFENSIVE" QUERY ABOUT TARIFFS
In late February, the White House announced that it would determine which journalists would form the 13-member pool reporting on Trump’s activities in restricted areas like the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One. This decision deviated from the long-standing practice of having the WHCA choose which media outlets accompany the President when not all members of the full press corps can attend.
Eugene Daniels, who serves as both the president of WHCA’s board and a correspondent for Politico, expressed concern over the decision, stating that it undermines the autonomy of independent journalism in America. However, the White House defended this change as an effort to update the press pool system beyond just established news organizations. According to the Trump administration, the conventional wire agencies—the Associated Press, Bloomberg, and Reuters—would lose their guaranteed positions within the exclusive club of thirteen members and would be required to take turns participating.
The White House later blocked the AP from participating in the press pool For disregarding Trump's executive order that changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, the ban was initially supported by a federal court. However, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden indicated that precedent was not in favor of the White House and set an additional hearing for March 20th.
During his first term, Trump skipped the WHCA yearly dinner. Last month, the organization selected new leadership. comedian Amber Ruffin, A writer from the "Late Show with Seth Meyers" will be headlining this year’s dinner. Ruffin informed CNN’s Jake Tapper that “nobody desires” Trump to attend; however, he believes the president should participate in an event typically graced by both the sitting president and their spouse.
Original article source: Karoline Leavitt states she will not be attending the White House Correspondents' Association dinner.
