The White House issued a new rule on Friday immediately banning credentialed journalists from freely accessing Room 140, known as “Upper Press,” which houses the offices of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt and other senior communications officials in the West Wing.
The National Security Council (NSC) memorandum states that journalists must now have a prior appointment to enter the area, citing the need to “protect potentially sensitive material” due to “structural changes” that mean communications officials are “routinely engaging with sensitive material.”
The new policy significantly alters a long-standing tradition allowing reporters to approach these officials on short notice for information.
Immediate Reaction:
- The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) immediately opposed the new rule. WHCA President Weijia Jiang stated the restrictions “hinder the press corps’ ability to question officials, ensure transparency, and hold the government accountable, to the detriment of the American public.”
- White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the restriction on social media, claiming that some reporters had been “ambushing” Cabinet secretaries, “eavesdropping,” and “secretly recording video and audio” of offices without permission.
The move follows similar restrictions implemented by the Department of Defense earlier this month, which prompted dozens of journalists to vacate their offices and return their credentials in protest of the new policy.
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