The White House has sparked a fierce backlash after barring The Wall Street Journal from the press pool covering President Donald Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland, a move critics say threatens press freedom and the First Amendment.
On July 22, 2025, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that The Wall Street Journal would not be among the thirteen media outlets traveling with President Trump from July 25 to 29. The decision came in the wake of the Journal's recent explosive report linking Trump to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein, which included a 2003 birthday card Trump allegedly sent to Epstein featuring a drawing of a naked woman and a message calling Epstein a "pal" with the wish that "may every day be another wonderful secret." The White House labeled the Journal's reporting as "fake and defamatory conduct," justifying their exclusion from the press pool.
This unprecedented action has drawn sharp criticism from press advocacy groups and journalists. Weijia Jiang, president of the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) and CBS News senior White House correspondent, called the move "deeply troubling" and a direct affront to the First Amendment. Jiang emphasized that "government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media."
Adding to the chorus, Seth Stern, director of advocacy at the nonprofit Freedom of the Press Foundation, condemned the ban as "highly disturbing that a U.S. president has so little respect for the First Amendment that he’s willing to punish news outlets that don’t toe the line." The New York Times also condemned the White House’s decision, describing it as "an attack on core constitutional principles underpinning free speech and a free press." A spokesperson pointed out that "this is simple retribution by a president against a news organization for doing reporting that he doesn’t like," and warned that such actions "deprive Americans of information about how their government operates."
The controversy is further fueled by President Trump’s libel lawsuit filed on July 18, 2025, seeking at least $20 billion in damages from The Wall Street Journal, its parent company Dow Jones, two reporters, and two executives including media mogul Rupert Murdoch. The suit alleges the Journal’s story was concocted to "malign President Trump’s character and integrity." Trump has vehemently denied authoring the birthday card or drawing the sketch, despite having created multiple drawings over the years, some of which were auctioned during his first administration. In a recent interview with the Journal, Trump stated he "never wrote a picture in my life," directly contradicting the report.
Dow Jones declined to comment on being excluded from the press pool but stood firmly behind its reporting, asserting, "We have full confidence in the rigor and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit."
The White House’s move marks the latest in a series of escalating tensions between the Trump administration and the press. Earlier in 2025, journalists from The Associated Press were banned from White House events over their refusal to adopt the administration’s preferred term "Gulf of America" instead of the widely accepted "Gulf of Mexico." A federal appeals court ruled in June 2025 that the administration could bar The AP from certain events while litigation proceeds, a ruling White House press secretary Leavitt cited to justify barring the Journal, emphasizing that "no news outlet is guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations."
The press pool system, which dates back nearly a century to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s era, is designed to provide a rotating group of journalists close access to the president, who then share their coverage with the broader media. Traditionally coordinated by the White House Correspondents' Association, the Trump administration has taken control of the pool’s selection process and eliminated permanent spots for wire services, a significant shift in longstanding protocol.
The Epstein case itself has embroiled the administration in controversy beyond media disputes. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced on July 23, 2025, that Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche would meet with Ghislaine Maxwell, currently serving a 20-year sentence for her role in grooming girls for Epstein’s abuse. Epstein, who died in jail awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, first came under investigation in 2005, two years after the birthday card Trump allegedly sent.
Trump’s relationship with Epstein has been a subject of scrutiny for years. In 2002, Trump told New York magazine that Epstein was a "terrific guy." However, after Epstein’s 2019 arrest, Trump distanced himself, claiming they had a falling out "a long time ago." Despite this, the recent Journal report and the administration’s reaction have reignited questions and criticism, including from some within Trump’s own political base, who have called for greater transparency regarding Epstein-related files.
As the president’s Scotland trip approaches, the exclusion of The Wall Street Journal from the press pool raises serious questions about the administration’s willingness to tolerate dissenting journalism and the broader implications for press freedom in the United States. The White House Correspondents' Association has expressed readiness to work with the administration to resolve the issue, but the standoff highlights a growing rift between the government and the media at a time when independent reporting is arguably more vital than ever.
