White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s tighter controls on reporters’ access, saying it maintains a firm grip on the dynamics of the briefing room.
In an interview on Pod Force One released Wednesday, host Miranda Devine praised Leavitt for ruling the boardroom with an “iron fist.”
“I’m trying, thank you,” the 28-year-old replied. “I prepare a lot for briefings… I go there with a good grip on what they’re going to ask because I read and watch and prepare all day, all morning.”
It calls for “professionalism” in the midst of heated exchanges
Leavitt — now the youngest White House press secretary in U.S. history — acknowledged that tensions would flare inside and outside the briefing room.
“The newsroom can be combative, and sometimes it’s behind the scenes,” she said.
But she said she is urging her team to maintain standards: “We have to be professional and get them the facts, and nobody does that better than President Trump.
She added that the White House is eager to work with journalists “who want to write good stories and try to make those stories as accurate as possible.”
Snarky answers and viral moments
Leavitt and other communications officials have occasionally made headlines for sharp answers to controversial questions.
She drew attention to herself last month by telling a HuffPost reporter, “Your mom does,” when asked who chose Budapest as the site for the planned Trump-Putin summit. The meeting was later cancelled.
Limiting the movement of the press and the rotation of the pool
During Leavitt’s tenure, the Trump administration took several steps to tighten access for the press.
The White House recently exempted the group’s rotation from the historic oversight of the White House Correspondents’ Association, bringing the selection process under direct administrative control.
Additionally, reporters are no longer allowed to freely enter the Upper Press area — where Leavitt and communications executives work — without an appointment.
Security concerns are behind the new restrictions
Leavitt coupled the access limits with heightened security protocols following a restructuring of the National Security Council under National Security Adviser Marco Rubio.
“We felt it was very inappropriate for reporters to be wandering around sensitive information in our offices,” she said.
She also blamed instances of misconduct: “Unfortunately, we caught some unruly reporters recording us, eavesdropping on our conversations and eavesdropping on us without our permission.
Despite the criticism, Leavitt said many journalists are privately accepting of the new arrangement:
“We give them that access … I give them as much time as I can in my schedule.
The White House is adding spaces for independent media
While the administration has curtailed some traditional avenues, it has added a new boardroom seat for independent media and created a dedicated slot for new media in the press pool rotation.
According to him, the media now treats Trump “with more respect.”
Leavitt argued that the tone of media interactions with President Trump has improved compared to his first term.
“I think Nov. 5 was a huge wake-up call for so many reporters,” she said.
“If 70 million Americans elected him not once but twice, maybe we should have a little more respect and treat this administration a little more decently.”
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