The White House on Friday announced it would no longer allow members of the media to freely access a part of the West Wing that houses the press secretary’s office and other staff members.
The White House issued a memo that prohibits journalists from accessing “Upper Press,” which is situated near the Oval Office, without an appointment.
The press secretary, the White House communications director and other senior staff have offices in “Upper Press,” and journalists have typically been able to come and go to speak with those officials. All journalists on the White House campus must have a press pass — either a permanent one or a temporary one issued by Secret Service.
The administration framed the decision as a matter of national security, but it came on the heels of a Pentagon policy that sought to limit what kind of material journalists could report on.
“As a result of recent structural changes to the National Security Council, the White House is now responsible for directing all communications, including on all national security matters. In this capacity, members of the White House Communications Staff are routinely engaging with sensitive material,” the memo states.
“In order to protect such material, and maintain coordination between National Security Council Staff and White House Communications Staff, members of the press are no longer permitted to access Room 140 without prior approval in the form of an appointment with an authorized White House Staff Member,” the memo states.
The announcement carries echoes of a similar move by the Clinton administration, which also sought to limit access to “Upper Press” before rescinding the decision.
The Trump White House has touted transparency, citing the president’s frequent willingness to engage with reporters. At the same time, the White House has taken control of the press pool that travels with the president and attends his events, often granting more access to right-leaning outlets.
The Pentagon, meanwhile, has steadily restricted access and accommodations for journalists in the building. Earlier this year, the Pentagon made most of its hallways off-limits to journalists without an official government escort, a departure from previous hard pass policies.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth then demanded that reporters agree to a new policy under which they would need to pledge to not obtain or use any unauthorized material, even if the information is unclassified — or hand over their press badges in the next 24 hours. Dozens of news outlets rejected the policy.
Â
