The White House barred The Wall Street Journal from accompanying Trump on his Scotland trip.

The White House on Monday said it has barred journalists from The Wall Street Journal from joining the press contingent accompanying President Trump's visit to Scotland, and again criticized the newspaper's reporting on Trump's relationship with Epstein.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement on Monday: "There will be 13 different media organizations covering the president's trip to Scotland. Given The Wall Street Journal's false and defamatory conduct, this media outlet will not be among the 13 organizations."

The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) condemned the White House's decision to exclude The Wall Street Journal from the press contingent. The association stated in a statement on Monday: "The White House attempting to punish a media outlet that reports in a way that does not align with its interests is an extremely disturbing action, openly violating the First Amendment."

The press contingent consists of journalists from various media outlets who accompany the president and provide firsthand information for the broader White House press corps. The Trump administration has exerted considerable control over the press contingent, including taking the power to decide which media outlets can participate in the press contingent away from the White House Correspondents' Association.

The White House had previously banned Associated Press from joining the press contingent, citing the organization's failure to comply with Trump's request to rename "the Gulf of Mexico."

Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1838337920184324/

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