WHCA accuses Trump admin of taking charge of press briefing room seating chart to 'punish' journalists

White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) President Eugene Daniels issued a statement on Monday following the scoop that the White House intends to shake up the seating arrangement in the press briefing room. The Trump administration has made a great deal of changes to the press corps in the months since taking office and this latest change would see the White House, not the WHCA, take charge of where journalists sit in the room.

In his statement, shared by Daily Wire White House reporter Mary Margaret Olohan, Daniels has accused the White House of attempting to pressure journalists to cover Trump in positive ways or face retribution. It was only a few weeks ago that Trump banned the Associated Press from covering the Oval Office, Air Force One, and Mar-a-Lago over the outlet's refusal to use the new term Gulf of America for that body of water formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico. The AP continues to use the old term.

"We're aware of new reports," Daniels wrote, "indicating the White House is considering taking over the briefing room seat assignments and want to underscore what we're doing and what we believe." This is the same WHCA that had initially booked a well-known anti-Trump comedian to headline their annual correspondents dinner, later dropping the comic in favor of having no comic.
 

NEW: After @axios reported that the White House plans to take over deciding which reporters get the coveted seats in the briefing room, the @whca board puts out the following statement through Eugene Daniels:

Key point: WHCA accuses White House of trying to pressure journalists…

— Mary Margaret Olohan (@MaryMargOlohan) March 31, 2025