The White House is citing the Wall Street Journalâs âfake and defamatory conductâ in its reporting on President Donald Trumpâs past relationship with Jeffrey Epstein as its reason to remove its reporter from on upcoming trip with the president.
The WSJ reporter will no longer be part of the Media pool to accompany Trump this weekend as he heard to Scotland, Mediaite reported.
White House Press Secretary KarolineLeavitt told Politico about the decision.
âAs 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,â she said.
âDue to the Wall Street Journalâs fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board. 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,â she added.
She said this move was made in response to the WSJâs reporting on a âbawdyâ letter Trump allegedly wrote to Epstein.
Trump is suing the Media outlet and its owner Rupert Murdoch, citing defamation. The president is seeking $10 billion in damages.
Weijia Jiang, CBS News Senior White House Correspondent and president of White House Correspondentsâ Association, released a statement about the situation.
âThis 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,â Jiang said. âGovernment retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent Media.â
âWe strongly urge the White House to restore the Wall Street Journal to its previous position in the pool and aboard Air Force One for the Presidentâs upcoming trip to Scotland,â she added. âThe WHCA stands ready to work with the administration to find a quick resolution.â
This is not the first time Trump has removed a Media outlet from covering the White House.
Earlier this year, Trump targeted the Associated Press for its unwillingness to call the Gulf of Mexico the âGulf of America.â
