White House Bans Wall Street Journal from Trump’s Scotland Trip Over Epstein Report

The White House has banned The Wall Street Journal from Trump’s press pool, covering the upcoming Scotland’s trip. The White House has accused the outlet of publishing “fake and defamatory” content regarding Trump’s ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The move comes in response to a Journal article published last week alleging that Trump once wrote a lewd birthday note to Epstein on his 50th birthday. The White House has strongly denied the report and confirmed that Trump is suing the publication over the claims.

“As the appeals court confirmed, The Wall Street Journal, is not entitled to special access,” said White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt. “Thirteen diverse news organizations will travel with President Trump to Scotland. Due to the Journal’s defamatory reporting, they will not be among them.”

Leavitt further claimed that “every news organization in the world wishes to cover President Trump,” and said the administration is prioritizing a broader media representation on the trip.

Politico first broke the news of the Journal‘s exclusion. Reporter Tarini Parti had reportedly been designated as the print pooler for the first two days of the trip before the decision was made.

Traditionally, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) manages press pool assignments. However, under Trump’s administration, the White House assumed direct control of that process shortly after taking office.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang condemned the decision, calling it “deeply troubling” and a threat to press freedom.

“Government retaliation against media outlets based on the content of their reporting should alarm anyone who values free speech and an independent press,” Jiang said in a statement. “We strongly urge the White House to reinstate The Wall Street Journal’s place in the press pool and on Air Force One.”

The controversy stems from renewed scrutiny over Trump’s past association with Epstein. The Journal‘s report reignited calls for transparency about those connections, particularly among Trump’s own base.

Earlier, the Justice Department concluded that Epstein died by suicide in 2019 and declared there was no client list—contradicting earlier claims by former Attorney General Pam Bondi. That announcement sparked outrage within pro-Trump circles, where demands for full disclosure of Epstein-related documents have intensified.

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