The White House has removed a Wall Street Journal reporter from the press pool for President Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland, over the Journal’s story on what it called a “bawdy” birthday letter to Jeffrey Epstein that the paper alleged was signed by Mr. Trump in the early 2000s.
A Wall Street Journal reporter was slated to join the president and a small group of other reporters aboard Air Force One as a part of the traveling press pool for Mr. Trump’s trip to Scotland later this month. But White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that because of what she called the paper’s “fake and defamatory conduct,” the Wall Street Journal will not participate. Mr. Trump filed a libel lawsuit over the story on Friday, asking for at least $20 billion in damages.
“Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool to cover the president’s trip to Scotland. Due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board,” Leavitt said in a statement. “Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible.”
The Wall Street Journal has not yet responded to a request for comment. The paper has stood by its reporting.
On Thursday, the Wall Street Journal published a story claiming the letter, from the early 2000s, featured Mr. Trump’s signature as well as a birthday message and a drawing of a nude woman. According to the Journal’s report, it was collected in a book along with letters from other friends and acquaintances to mark Epstein’s 50th birthday in 2003.
The president has denied the report, calling the letter a “FAKE.” CBS News has not reviewed or verified the letter.
Mr. Trump is visiting his ancestral home of Scotland from July 25-29, with stops in Aberdeen and Turnberry, where he owns golf courses.
Being a part of the press pool allows a small but rotating group of reporters access to the president’s daily happenings and travels, often offering journalists opportunities to ask questions of the president.
The White House Correspondents’ Association urged the Trump administration to reverse its decision.
“This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment. Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media,” said WHCA President Weijia Jiang, who also serves as CBS News’ senior White House correspondent.
The Trump administration has asserted more power over the press pool than prior administrations, which have usually deferred to the White House press corps to decide who participates and when.
The Associated Press’s access to spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One was curtailed earlier this year for not abiding by Mr. Trump’s decision to change the Gulf of Mexico’s name to the Gulf of America. The wire service sued over the change, winning an early victory in district court, but an appeals court eventually let the Trump administration limit the AP’s access to restricted spaces.
“As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces,” Leavitt said in a statement.
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