White House press secretary confirms her position on AP case

Washington, DC: On Tuesday (local time), White House Press Secretary Karoline Levitt reiterated her stance on the Associated Press (AP) lawsuit, saying that it is a privilege rather than a legal right to question US President Donald Trump. Going forward, the White House will have the power to choose which reporters will cover its events, Leavitt said.

“Yesterday, a federal judge denied the associated press’s emergency motion for a temporary restraining order against myself, our Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and our chief of staff Susie Wiles for our decision to remove the Associated Press from the White House Press pool for certain and special events, the judge’s ruling uphold our decision to deny the Associated Press such privileged access reinforces the truth and it reiterates what I said from this podium last week when that suit was filed asking the President of the United States questions in limited spaces such as the Oval Office in Air Force 1 is a privilege that unfortunately has only been granted to a few it is not a legal right for all,” she continued.

While taking aim at the White House Correspondents’ Association, Leavitt said that a number of reporters are denied the chance to board Air Force 1 and ask questions. According to her, the goal of this action was to guarantee justice for everyone.

“Hundreds of reporters visit this facility every day, but they are not given the opportunity to board Air Force One and interview President Trump. We want to guarantee a spot at that highly sought-after table for everyone. However, the Legacy Media Outlets, who have been covering the White House for a long time and have spent money on it, will continue to have their places in this briefing room as well,” she added.
The decision was criticized by the White House Correspondents’ Association, which claimed that it undermined journalistic independence.

“The independence of the American free press is being undermined by this action. It implies that the journalists covering the president will be selected by the administration. Leaders shouldn’t be allowed to choose their own press corps in a free nation, the declaration said.