WHCA accuses Trump administration of ‘retaliation’ after POTUS' outburst at reporter

WASHINGTON, DC: The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) on Wednesday, October 21, accused the Trump administration of retaliation after The Independent correspondent Andrew Feinberg was reportedly removed from the print press pool for President Donald Trump’s trip to South Carolina. 

WHCA President Jacqui Heinrich said that the decision followed Trump’s angry response to Feinberg’s questions during an Oval Office exchange. Following the long-running dispute with the press, Trump has also discussed moving the White House press corps to another building, adding to ongoing tensions between his administration and news organizations over press access.

WHCA calls reporter’s removal ‘retaliation’ after Trump’s outburst

Heinrich, a senior White House correspondent for Fox News, stated after Semafor reported that Feinberg had been told he would no longer serve as a print pooler during Trump’s South Carolina trip that evening.

“The White House Correspondents' Association strongly objects to the decision to restrict a journalist's coverage simply because the president didn't care for their questioning. That is retaliation. The American public's right to an independent press depends on reporters being able to do their jobs without fear that challenging the president will cut off their access,” Heinrich wrote. 

The decision followed an exchange a day earlier on Tuesday, October 20, in the Oval Office, where Trump was taking questions from reporters after announcing a new fraud tip line. The initiative offered whistleblowers up to $30,000, or 1% of commissions, for exposing government fraud.

Feinberg questioned Trump about the False Claims Act, a law dating to the 19th century that allows whistleblowers to receive a share of recovered funds of up to 25%. When Feinberg attempted to ask follow-up questions, Trump responded angrily, telling him at one point, “What is wrong with you? Are you a sick person?”

Vice President JD Vance subsequently described Feinberg as an “imbecile” in a post on X, while the White House rapid response account called him a “mongoloid moron,” a slur.

Trump clashes with other reporters as well, as the outlet defends Feinberg

Trump also clashed with reporters on Wednesday while taking questions before boarding Marine One. The president called CNN correspondent Kaitlan Collins “a low-IQ person” and told her, “You're a dummy.” He also described an ABC News reporter as “a stupid person.”

A White House spokesperson defended the administration’s authority over access, saying that “no person and no journalist has a constitutional right to access the President's Oval Office, Air Force One, or other sensitive and private facilities. When publications lie, fabricate, and ignore the truth, proximity matters less, and they can write their fiction from outside of these secure facilities.”

In a post published on The Independent’s website, Feinberg defended his questioning and wrote that “for the record, I had an annual physical earlier this month, and I can report I'm in perfect health. I was doing my job, and I'll be right back at it tomorrow.”