A senior official has indicated that the White House intends to take charge of seating assignments in the press briefing room, reflecting the Trump administration’s latest effort to exert control over the press corps.
The White House Correspondents’ Association, an independent entity responsible for allocating seats and managing the relationship between the White House and the press, may contest this initiative.
Some supporters of Trump expressed their approval when Axios reported on potential changes to the seating arrangement on Sunday morning, interpreting it as yet another effort to curtail the influence of mainstream media and bolster pro-Trump opinion platforms.
Sean Spicer, who served as Trump’s initial press secretary during his first term, communicated with his colleague Karoline Leavitt on X, stating, ‘Yes to this – keep it going @PressSec.’ CNN received information about the plan from a senior official at the White House, who chose not to provide further details.
Several correspondents have indicated that a restructuring of the seating arrangement is expected, as these changes are likely to be symbolic and positively received by pro-Trump media outlets. Due to restrictions from their employers on public commentary, these sources requested anonymity. A White House correspondent remarked, ‘The seating arrangement is not particularly significant.’
However, they added, ‘It becomes important when the White House seeks to exert control over an elected body to sway the nature of inquiries and the coverage of stories.’ This body is the Correspondents’ Association, managed by a rotating board of journalists elected by their peers.
Eugene Daniels, the current president of the association, did not respond to a request for comments regarding the seating chart’s status. Reports suggest that the association is considering various potential responses.
A key uncertainty remains whether the administration intends to merely shuffle the seating or to exclude certain major news organizations from their assigned positions. Nonetheless, even a minor adjustment in seating could significantly impact the dynamics during Leavitt’s briefings.
Presently, journalists from the largest television networks, newswires, newspapers, and radio stations occupy the front seats as per the association’s seating chart.
Additionally, numerous other reputable news organizations have been allocated seats, with some alternating to ensure that 49 seats can accommodate over 60 outlets.
Since Trump’s return to office in January, the association has faced significant criticism from the Trump administration. Some reporters suggest that Trump aims to completely dismantle the organization.
In February, Trump prohibited The Associated Press, a longstanding entity in White House reporting for over a century, from attending press conferences and other events. Leavitt subsequently asserted that the White House would choose the reporters from the ‘press pool’ who travel with the president on his trips and at smaller events, thus removing the association’s traditional role in pool management.
Recently, the White House has invited relatively low-rated television networks and highly partisan pro-Trump websites to participate.
When an employee from the far-right channel One America News posed a question disguised as a compliment on Friday, Trump responded enthusiastically, saying, ‘I love this guy.’
During her press briefings, Leavitt has also promoted right-wing podcasters and unconventional authors by designating a seat for ‘new media’ for a White House aide.
The Defense Department’s so-called ‘rotation’ initiative, which displaced major news organizations such as NPR and CNN from their Pentagon offices in favor of smaller, staunchly pro-Trump media outlets, has set the stage for further changes for veteran correspondents.
Each disruption has consistently indicated a shift towards media coverage that supports the administration’s agenda rather than scrutinizing it. It is likely that right-wing podcasters and online content creators would be included in a Trump-led briefing seating arrangement, although the White House may face practical challenges.
Many conservative opinion show hosts and pro-Trump figures with significant online followings do not reside in Washington, DC, and may not be particularly motivated to attend press briefings. During the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, when the briefing room’s capacity was reduced for health reasons, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins was directed to exchange her front-row seat with a reporter seated in the back.
The White House ultimately relented after both reporters refused. ‘There is a longstanding bipartisan tradition of the WHCA determining the seating arrangements in the briefing room,’ remarked Jonathan Karl, the association’s president at that time, emphasizing that ‘we will contest any attempts to selectively choose which outlets are present or how they are accommodated.’
