White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre stated on Tuesday that the White House has no intention of blocking wire services from accompanying President Joe Biden on his trip to Saudi Arabia. This follows a controversy regarding the decision not to allow Associated Press, Reuters, and Bloomberg reporters to accompany President Donald Trump on his trip to the same location.
Context of the Situation
- The White House press corps was aboard Air Force One when Trump departed for Saudi Arabia on Monday.
- Notably, Fox News’s Sean Hannity was also present, but in a departure from tradition, no wire service reporter was included.
- This incident marks the first time since the White House press corps began traveling with American presidents abroad that no wire service reporter has been aboard Air Force One.
Reaction from the Trump Administration
White House communications director Steven Cheung responded to the criticism of this decision with sarcasm. He posted a screenshot of an email statement by an individual involved in the situation on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday morning, captioning it:
"Oh no! A strongly worded email!"
The Trump administration has historically faced tensions with media outlets regarding access to information and the reporting of news stories related to him and his policies.

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