Last week saw President Donald Trump file a lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal over the paper's allegation that he once sent a birthday card to deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

What's more White House kicked a reporter for the Journal off the press pool assigned to cover Trump's Scottish trip. 

Press secretary slams Journal for "fake and defamatory conduct"

As Politico explained, Tarini Parti serves as a White House reporter for the Journal, and she had been scheduled to cover the president in Turnberry and Aberdeen, Scotland.

However, Parti ended up being excluded from the trip, a decision which was defended in a statement provided by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

"As the appeals court confirmed, the Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces," Leavitt was quoted as saying.

"Due to the Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board," the press secretary continued.

"Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible," Leavitt went on to assert.

White House Correspondents’ Association says move "defies the First Amendment"

However, Politico noted that Parti's exclusion was quickly condemned by White House Correspondents’ Association president Weijia Jiang.

"This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment," Jiang said in a statement of her own.

"Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media," she insisted.

"We strongly urge the White House to restore the Wall Street Journal to its previous position in the pool and aboard Air Force One for the President’s upcoming trip to Scotland," Jiang added.

New York Times also voices outrage

Meanwhile, The Hill reported on Tuesday that The New York Times also moved to condemn the White House for removing Parti.

The New York Times slams Trump's "retribution" against the Wall Street Journal over Epstein report https://t.co/KGqeHSw4Oi

— The Hill (@thehill) July 22, 2025

"The White House’s refusal to let one of the nation’s leading news organizations cover the highest office in the country is an attack on core constitutional principles underpinning free speech and free press," the publication maintained.