By Mona Austin
(TSN): The front page feature in the Washington Times on April Fool's Day read, "Trump team takes over briefing room seating." This was not a joke...
WHCA President Eugene Daniels calls those plans a "wrong-headed effort."
A source tells The Slice News the White House is already controlling the pool rotation-- that is the group of reporters approved daily to cover the president directly and travel with him.
The shifting norms have already shown changing dynamics in White House coverage as influencers who have been allowed to asked questions express clear bias in reporting.
An official advised The Slice News to make a pitch to Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt for a coveted seat in the 49-seat room. Before the shake up, the press team had designated a new media seat and allowed a television station, which is considered traditional media, to occupy it and kick of the briefing questions-- a privilege that has been reserved for the AP to represent neutrality on behalf of the press corp. The Slice News declined to take this approach given its tenure and that the team has been made aware of past issues with unfair treatment that blocked access to the President.
And for Trump's team, the numbers matter. They noted how some reporters getting questions in have smaller audiences than some who had been ignored. That's the problem they hope to rectify they say.