White House Excludes Politico Reporter from Presidential Travel Pool

Why it matters locally: While a national story, the exclusion of a Politico reporter from the White House travel pool directly impacts the operations of a news organization with a significant presence in Washington D.C., raising concerns about press access to the Executive Branch headquartered in the District.

WASHINGTON – The White House excluded a Politico reporter from the press pool covering President Donald Trump's trip to Nebraska. This action marks the second instance of a news organization's exclusion from a presidential travel pool in the past week. Previously, the White House excluded a CNN reporter from a similar travel pool. Following that decision, CNN, along with MS NOW and Politico, filed a lawsuit. The lawsuit stems from the administration's decision to deny the organizations access to White House grounds. The White House has not issued a public statement detailing the specific reasons for these exclusions.