The White House has introduced a new rule that immediately limits journalists’ access to key communications offices located near the Oval Office, including the workspace of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. According to a memorandum issued by the National Security Council, accredited reporters will no longer be allowed to enter Room 140, known informally as the “Upper Press” area, unless they have secured an appointment in advance. Officials explained that this restriction is intended to safeguard material that could be sensitive, noting that recent structural changes within the NSC now involve communications staff frequently handling classified or delicate information.
This shift means that reporters, who previously could approach senior press officials such as Leavitt and Deputy Press Secretary Steven Cheung with little notice, must now seek prior authorization. The White House stressed that the adjustment is designed to preserve coordination between communications personnel and national security staff while protecting protected material from accidental exposure.
The restriction mirrors a similar tightening of media access instituted by the U.S. Department of Defense earlier in the month. That Pentagon policy required news organizations to accept strict terms or risk losing workspace access and press credentials. As a result, dozens of journalists left Pentagon facilities, and at least 30 major media outlets, including Reuters, refused to sign due to concerns about press freedom. Those Pentagon rules specify that reporters could be labeled security risks and stripped of credentials if they request classified information or even certain forms of unclassified data deemed sensitive.
The White House has not yet received public feedback from the White House Correspondents Association, which represents journalists assigned to the administration. These new media limitations also come several months after the Trump administration removed major outlets — including Reuters, The Associated Press, and Bloomberg — from the permanent rotation covering the president, though those outlets may still take part occasionally. Collectively, the recent moves reflect a tightening environment for press access at top levels of the U.S. government, raising questions among journalists and media organizations about transparency and the evolving boundaries of reporting on national security matters.
