Trump bans Wall Street Journal from Scotland trip press pool over Epstein report
GuardianJUL 22
White House Removes WSJ From Trump's Scotland Press Pool
Above: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks to the media outside the White House on July 21, 2025. Image copyright: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Bloomberg/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-Trump narrative
It's only natural that the White House has decided to punish The Wall Street Journal for its smear campaign against President Trump by removing the newspaper from its press pool, especially as special access to the president is not guaranteed to any news outlet.
Anti-Trump narrative
The Wall Street Journal is one the most prominent newspapers in the country and should be able to cover actions of the president without retaliation. As Trump attacks a news outlet for reporting in a way he doesn't like, the president is attacking the core constitutional principles of free speech and free press, as well as public interest.