Journalists leave after several major news organizations including CNN, The New York Times and Politico were excluded from an off camera "gaggle" meeting with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer in his office that was held in place of the regular daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S., February 24, 2017. In a brief statement defending the move, administration spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the White House “had the pool there so everyone would be represented and get an update from us today.”

The White House press pool usually includes representatives from one television outlet, one radio outlet and one print outlet, as well as reporters from a few wire services. And while The New York Times was kept out, conservative media organizations Breitbart News, The Washington Times and One America News Network were also allowed in. CNN posted a Twitter message on Friday afternoon saying: “This is an unacceptable development by the Trump White House. Dean Baquet, executive editor of New York Times, said in a statement, “nothing like this has ever happened at the White House in our long history.” While a statement by CNN said, “Apparently this is how they retaliate when you report facts they don’t like. We’ll keep reporting regardless.” While, David Frum, Senior Editor at The Atlantic wrote,

Notwithstanding what people associated with media outlets that were blocked from the news conference said about the unfortunate incident, Sean Spicer himself had criticized the blocking of the free press in the past. He did not say why those particular news organizations were excluded, a decision which drew strong protests. Free media access to a transparent government is obviously of crucial national interest.”

The White House press office had informed reporters earlier that the traditional, on-camera press briefing would be replaced by a gaggle in Spicer’s office, reporters in attendance said. His announcement came a day after the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) President said they were "protesting strongly" against the White House's decision to exclude several major news outlets from an informal press briefing. It was my decision to expand the pool.”

Several news outlets spoke out against the White House’s decision. The board will be discussing this further with White House staff.”

Hours earlier, at the Conservative Political Action Conference outside Washington, President Trump mocked and disparaged the news media. Trump, who in the past few weeks has taken to calling media outlets who write pieces critical of his administration the “enemy of the American people” added, “please wish everyone well and have a great evening!”

The annual, celebrity-studded WHCA dinner has long been criticized as a display of too-cozy relations between the media and people they are supposed to cover fairly and critically. “They just make them up when there are none.”

He also said reporters “shouldn’t be allowed” to use unnamed sources.
The Trump White House bars The New York Times, CNN, the Los Angeles Times, the New York Daily News, The Hill, the Daily Mail, BBC, Politico, and BuzzFeed from a Friday press "gaggle." Generally conservative, mostly new, outlets were permitted entry, such as Breitbart News, One America News Network, and The Washington Times. Also allowed in were ABC News, CBS News, NBC News, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg News, and Fox News. Time magazine and the Associated Press could have attended but chose not to in protest. The White House Correspondents’ Association, which represents the press corps, quickly rebuked the White House’s actions.