White House bans WSJ from press pool on Trump trip over Epstein report

White House bans WSJ from press pool on Trump trip over Epstein report

here to live. Now from Fox. I’m Andrew Craft. Like I said, hope you had a good weekend well, over the weekend, we hit the 6-month Mark of trump. 2.0 And we want to talk about some of the administration’s perceived successes. uh and or failures here, Fox News correspondent Mark Meredith. has more on that question. Let’s listen. tonight, the stock market is reaching record Highs the White House calling it proof, 6 months in. maganomics is working. We’ve had the most successful 6 months, of any Administration the president has delivered on his 2 core campaign promises defeat inflation. and secure the Homeland in record time now some of President Trump’s allies want more growth faster as they pressure the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates as soon as possible. Florida. Congresswoman Anna. pelina Luna is the latest lawmaker to criticize chairman Jerome, Powell. Luna wants pal, prosecuted. She claims he lied to Congress about fed facility renovations estimated to be over budget by. 700 million. This is not make me happy to do. Perjury is a very serious charge. pal has yet to respond to Luna’s claims but last week, defended the renovations writing fed buildings are quote in need of significant structural repairs. today, White House, aides told Fox Pal’s job is safe. So Kyle will be allowed to finish his term as Federal Reserve chairman or not. He has no plans to fire the Fed chair but he has been very transparent in expressing his displeasure with Jerome Powell’s management of the fed and also his policies Democrats say the president’s first 6 months. are nothing. We’re celebrating. Los Angeles. mayor Karen bass among those critical of Trump’s immigration. Crackdown if you ask me, is there anything that they have done good? in terms of immigration? I don’t know. I don’t think so And as Democrats search for a new leader today, former first son Hunter Biden is back in the spotlight, 1 year to the day after his dad dropped out of the 2024 race. in a new interview, Hunter, says illegal immigrants are vital to the country. how do you think your hotel room gets cleaned? How do you think you got food on your table? Who do you think washes your dishes? The president once again, expected to focus on both trade and tariffs as he sits down with the leader of the Philippines, this week? the US recently struck deals with other Pacific countries. Including Vietnam, and Indonesia. at the White House, Mark Meredith, Fox News. Mark, thanks so much. Uh, let’s bring in the conversation. Someone who’s been there for each of these 6 months to cover it all. That’s of course. Christian De talk, our friend at the Washington Examiner. He joins me. um, Christian, good to see you. and hope you had a good weekend here, I guess I got to ask you this. Where do you position? I guess? you’re reporting your coverage. now that we are 6 months in. How would you? characterize it? describe it, Uh, it’s been a whirlwind that’s my characterization. What say you Whirlwind is a pretty good word. A roller coaster. a tsunami. Uh, anything that is uncontrollable, I think is the proper way. to characterize this first 6 months of the Trump Administration. and the White House is saying, look, we’ve had unmitigated success. It’s the most successful 6 months and any presidential term ever, and I’m not so sure that specifically the case we still have big questions regarding the economy and the president’s tariff agenda. but I will say when it comes to immigration, I think even us in Washington. doubted how hard president Trump would push his deportation agenda? He’s certainly looking to make good on that promise and that’s really the 1 area where I can say. He’s knocked it out of the park at least in terms of doing what he promised, he would on the campaign Trail. Yeah. And to follow up on the kind of illegal immigration. headline there, you know illegal border crossings they are down to Historic lows compared with where we were during the Biden Administration. I would imagine the White House is counting that Without a doubt. And I think the president himself last week at the White House I was at an event where he was speaking to Republican Senators. I want to say on Friday night and I think he said even he was surprised when he heard the idea that there are zero border, was speaking to Republican Senators. I want to say on Friday night and I think he said even, and even quite frankly, the first Trump Trump Administration as well. So again, 6 months in the White House, is certainly happy. Uh, they have those immigration numbers that they can tap. so Christian. You and I have talked about some of the, you know, ensuing battles this Trump Administration has had with the Press with the First Amendment with some of these news outlets, um, the latest news um, in the form of I guess Trump versus The Wall Street Journal here. I just want to read this piece. by Politico today, it was an exclusive to Politico. They say this the White House is removing the Wall Street Journal. from the pool of reporters Covering the president’s weekend trip to Scotland. karoline Leavitt, confirmed that to Politico, They say the move follows the journal’s report alleging that President Trump sent a sexually suggestive message to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. Trump has denied the existence of the letter Uh and Politico has said that they have not verified that very letter. Uh so the White House reporter for the Wall Street Journal. their name toini party. She’d been scheduled to serve as the print pool for the final 2 days of Trump’s 4-day trip to his golf courses and Turnberry and Aberdine Scotland. But the White House which earlier this year took over control of pool rotations from the White House Correspondents Association. removed her from the trip. manifest. according to Leavitt, uh, and now the White House Correspondents Association president. putting out this statement here. saying this attempt by the White House to punish a media Outlet. whose coverage 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. We strongly urge the White House to restore the Wall Street Journal to its previous position in the pool. And a board Air Force 1 for the president’s upcoming trip to Scotland. the White House Correspondents Association. stands ready to work with the administration. to find a quick resolution here. Um, Christian. We’ve seen this play out before. almost exactly, right? More or less. Andrew, of course the first time we had an outlet removed from the pool entirely We all remembered what happened. That was the Associated Press. following the refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of the erica as dictated by President Trump’s executive order changing the name Within the federal government now, roughly 3 months later, not only is the Associated Press not restored to their usual spot in the daily rotation they’ve had some of the other wire outlets Bloomberg and Reuters. They’ve had to take a step back as well. Based on that judge’s ruling. So I do not expect. wsj to have much. recourse here at least as it involves this upcoming trip to Scotland, which again Donald Trump will be sitting down with Keir starmer. Prime minister of the United Kingdom to talk about. and try and Hammer through some of these remaining details on the US. UK trade deal, that was announced. back in May but Wall Street Journal. Will not be allowed to cover This isn’t necessarily A permanent decision. again. based on the way that that AP ruling was handled. the White House Legally cannot keep wsj out of the pool in perpetuity. But it’s certainly an, an opening. Salvo in this legal War, we have between the White House and Wall Street Journal regarding the reporting on the president, and Jeffrey, Epstein. Yeah, you know, Christian though. to the Trump administration’s credit. when they go after these media organizations. they have been largely successful. I mean, you can make that argument we don’t want to talk about ABC News. CBS, and, and others here. Um, in court specifically they have been successful. haven’t they? they have, and it’s just sort of an alarm Bell for critics of the president. You heard it last week, when CBS decided that they’re going to cancel, Stephen Cobar late night show. over his criticism of Donald Trump and the network for settling. that 60 Minutes lawsuit. you heard people talking about oh comedians, aren’t safe or news outlets aren’t safe Anyone who criticizes this president or talks about news that he doesn’t want to be spoken about Allah, Jeffrey Epstein. Might they be at Target? It’s it’s a little frightening for us in the media but again, I I do think based on the steps that the trumpet White House stopped themselves with when it came to the handling of the AP. I’m, I’m not expecting them to To take a prolonged. sort of. uh, blacklisting of the Wall Street Journal again unless they want to see them. tied tied up in court and further legal actions Because to your point, Donald Trump is batting a thousand when it comes to his legal issues with media outlets in his second term. I’m not. So sure. he wants to let that number Dip down at all. Yeah. and just a disclaimer, The Wall Street Journal. shares. Common ownership with fox fox though has not independently confirmed the truth of the Wall Street journal’s reporting. Um let’s talk about their reporting. Um, did anyone in the Trump White House in the in? thing, that the Jeffrey Epstein Saga would yet again? rear? Its ugly head and be somewhat of a political liability. for the president. Um, I’m going to use this kind of cliche, Did anyone have that on their bigger card 6 months in Definitely not. Andrew, at least No 1 was saying that publicly and again, this isn’t necessarily the White House but I don’t want to harp on Pam Bondi. She was 1 of the loudest voices. even while President Trump was back in the White House talking about how we’re going to put all the Epstein. Client List information out there and we’re going to prosecute people you know, just a few months later, it’s it’s a very different tune. than Miss Bondi Is singing That being said, the president has ordered her in the doj. to move to unseal that grand jury testimony. that request was transmitted to the federal court in Manhattan on Friday. evening. And I do not think that just the publication of this information. will necessarily be enough to satiate. those on the right. who are saying that Donald Trump has, you know gone back on his word regarding this 1 specific issue. I might be wrong again. I don’t know what is in the grand jury testimony right now. but I have to imagine that, no 1 in the Trump White House, thought that this was going to be a nagging issue. for the president the way it’s proven over these over these last few weeks. but how how do they see it though? In the Trump White House? a distraction or or something that they need? Need to address. Um, has it died down this week or or no? Is it still percolating out There Are you seeing? actual fractures within his Coalition because of it? Or is that overblown It’s hard to say. there are fractures online, Certainly, I think right now within the White House though the president’s staff is United. they’re taking their cues from Donald Trump and he’s saying look, we’re going to let this issue. you know. live in the past, we’re moving forward and trying to look at what my quote unquote golden agenda. for America. looks like but again I’m not so sure, it’s necessarily up to Suzie Wilds or Stephen Miller or any of the other senior aides. at 1600 Pennsylvania. whether or not this story goes away, should we get new information from the grand jury publication I do think again that could be a Lifeline for Donald Trump but I think it’s important to point out. Democrats while the president is trying to attempt down on this story. they’re doing the best to keep in front and center on newspapers across the country. It’s clear They think that this could be a problem for the president and they’re going to bang their drum for just as long as they can. fund raise off it, and try and position themselves. in the best. Place as possible. Uh, you know, by the time the midterms were all around next November. So, uh, you’ve covered Donald Trump for quite some time Christian, you know, he loves suede into so many of these. cultural questions when it comes to entertainment. and sports and the like here, he did that as well over the NFL team, the Washington commanders. You’re based in Washington. I’m sure you. um have some thoughts, some reporting on this. Um, he wants the name Redskins to come back here. so much so that he says that he is threatening to Scuttle the very deal about a new stadium for the commanders here. Fox is Rebecca Caster has a little bit more on what Trump said about this story over the weekend. Let’s listen. That was President Trump earlier this month saying he’s not a fan of Washington’s NFL team changing their name to the commanders back in 2020. on Sunday. He doubled down posting online, The team should immediately go back to using their old name. and a follow-up post. He said, he won’t make a deal for them to build a stadium in Washington. unless they ditch the Commander’s name. I don’t think. he should have any influence on that. Leave politics out of this right now, You know we just play football. when he worries about it for the President also called out the former Cleveland. Indians, who changed their name to the Guardians, for seasons ago. they’ve been a target of Trump’s criticism since the 2024 campaign. they’re in charge of a trust fund. The Cleveland Guardians. the president claims Native Americans aren’t offended by these old names. and 1 former player agrees. I mean, I’m a native Native American. So I’m a real red skin and a proud 1 70 to 90% of Native American Indians, wherever you go. love the name Redskins bringing a stadium back to DC is a top priority for Commander’s owner, Josh Harris. plans call for it to be built at the side of the team’s previous home RFK Stadium, in as far as the name goes. Harris, says the change is fitting. there’s more military personnel than anyone else. anywhere else. So we’re kind of moving forward with the Commander’s name Excited about that and not that back? Congress transferred RFK Stadium from federal to City control late last year, so it’s unclear how much power president Trump actually has over the project. from outside RFK Stadium in Washington. Rebecca Caster Fox News. Rebecca, Thanks so much back here with Christian. Uh, I guess that was my question too. I mean does President Trump have any authority to do anything? to thwart the completion of a new stadium for the Commander’s do we know whether or not he can utilize or exercise that Authority if he has it? You know. short of controlling republicans in Congress to legislate a federal takeover of Washington DC, Andrew, I don’t really think the president has any recourse. Just because Congress, passed over control of RFK Stadium. 2, Washington. DC last year and there’s 1 thing we know Josh Harris the Commander’s owner at Mar Muriel Bowser are dead set on getting this new stadium project. greenlit as soon as possible, it’s going to be a huge boon economically for the district and you’d have to imagine could breathe some sports life into a city. who’s in desperate need? of some success. It feels like forever ago that the capitals or the Nationals. won their title, so maybe uh the commanders and Jade Daniels can do it in a new stadium here in DC. sooner than later. That’s what I’m hoping for Andrew, Okay, Christian De talk. You can talk everything from

The White House confirmed Monday that the Wall Street Journal is being removed from the press pool covering President Donald Trump’s trip to Scotland this week.

It comes after a recent story from the outlet that described letters gifted to Jeffrey Epstein in 2003, including one bearing Trump’s name. Trump denied the report and shortly after, filed a libel lawsuit against the paper. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Monday that the decision was made “due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct.”

The Washington Examiner’s Christian Datoc joins LiveNOW’s Andrew Craft to discuss.

The Wall Street Journal shares common ownership with Fox. Fox has not independently confirmed the truth of the Wall Street Journal’s reporting.

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