Karoline Leavitt says she won’t attend White House Correspondents’ Association dinner

Karoline Leavitt Announces She Will Skip the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has revealed that she will not attend the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) dinner scheduled for April 26. Leavitt made this announcement during a recent appearance on The Sean Spicer Show, a podcast hosted by Sean Spicer, who served as President Donald Trump’s press secretary during the early months of his administration. Breaking the news on the show, Leavitt stated, "I will not be in attendance at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner, and that’s breaking news for ‘The Sean Spicer Show.’" Her decision comes amid growing tensions between the White House and the WHCA over issues of press access, media representation, and the association’s role in shaping White House coverage.

Leavitt Criticizes the WHCA for Being an "Exclusive Monopoly"

Leavitt criticized the WHCA, calling it a "monetized monopoly" that has dominated White House press coverage for decades. She argued that the association, which was originally formed to ensure presidents held more press conferences, has outlived its original purpose. "I don’t think we have that problem anymore under this president," she said, pointing to the Trump administration’s frequent interactions with the media. Leavitt also highlighted the WHCA’s exclusivity, noting that it has historically been controlled by a small, privileged group of journalists who have not welcomed independent or new media outlets.

The White House Expands Press Access to New Voices

Leavitt emphasized that the White House has taken steps to expand press access, particularly in limited spaces such as the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One. Traditionally, the WHCA has been responsible for selecting which journalists are part of the 13-member press pool that follows the president in these settings. However, the White House has recently taken over this selection process, breaking with a century-old tradition. Leavitt explained that this change has allowed "so many new voices and outlets who have never been part of this small and privileged group of journalists" to access these exclusive spaces. She also revealed that the White House has received over 15,000 applications for the new media seats in the press briefing room, highlighting the widespread interest in covering the presidency.

The WHCA Pushes Back Against White House Changes

The WHCA has strongly criticized the White House’s decision to take control of the press pool selection process. Eugene Daniels, the president of the WHCA’s board and a correspondent for Politico, argued that the move "tears at the independence of a free press in the United States." The association has traditionally prided itself on its independence, selecting journalists for the press pool based on its own criteria. However, the White House has defended the changes as a way to modernize the press pool and include a broader range of voices, particularly from non-traditional media outlets.

Tensions Between the White House and the Press Continue

The White House’s relationship with the press has been strained for months, with tensions flaring over issues such as press access and media representation. In late February, the White House announced that it would no longer automatically include the three major wire services—The Associated Press, Bloomberg, and Reuters—in the press pool. Instead, these outlets would rotate a single spot in the 13-member group. The AP, in particular, has faced repercussions, including being temporarily barred from the press pool after it ignored President Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. A federal court upheld the ban but warned that the White House may not have the legal authority to exclude specific outlets.

The WHCA Dinner and the Broader Context

Leavitt’s decision to skip the WHCA dinner reflects the broader tensions between the White House and the press corps. The annual dinner, traditionally attended by the president and first lady, has been a key event in Washington’s social and political calendar. However, President Trump did not attend the dinner during his first term, and it remains unclear whether he will attend this year. Comedian Amber Ruffin, who will headline the event, recently told CNN’s Jake Tapper that "no one wants" Trump to show up, though she acknowledged that it is traditional for the president to attend. Leavitt’s absence from the dinner underscores the ongoing conflict between the White House and the WHCA, as well as the administration’s efforts to reshape the media landscape and challenge the traditional norms of press access.

In summary, Karoline Leavitt’s announcement to skip the WHCA dinner is the latest move in a broader effort by the White House to redefine its relationship with the media. By criticizing the WHCA’s exclusivity and expanding press access to new voices, the White House is challenging the status quo and asserting its influence over how the presidency is covered. However, this approach has drawn sharp criticism from the WHCA and other journalists, who argue that it undermines the independence of the press and threatens the principles of a free press. As tensions between the White House and the media continue to escalate, the future of press access and coverage remains uncertain.