Mike Allen and Karoline Leavitt speak Friday at the International Spy Museum in D.C. Photo credits: Cameron Smith on behalf of Axios

The Trump administration is tightening its control over press coverage in order to expand access, not to limit it, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Mike Allen at an Axios event in D.C. Friday.

Why it matters: “It’s not about ideology. It’s about increasing the wide array of outlets that have access,” Leavitt said.

“I don’t view them as restrictions. We view them as opening access to more outlets, more voices, more news, journalists and outlets,” Leavitt said. “Why should a single outlet have the privilege of being in that 13-person press pool every single day?”
She connected the media strategy — which includes allowing MAGA influencers and podcasters into the briefing room — to President Trump’s 2024 campaign.
“The President ran a non-traditional media campaign, which propelled him back to the highest office in the land, and we felt it was our responsibility to continue that in our coverage at the White House,” she said.

Zoom in: She noted Trump’s interview with Jeffrey Goldberg, The Atlantic’s editor in chief, on Thursday after Goldberg reported on his accidental inclusion in an administration’s Signal chat about military strike planning.

“The fact that the President is still willing to welcome that reporter into the Oval Office to have a direct conversation with them is exactly what we should expect in a leader of the free world,” she said.
Leavitt said the interview with Goldberg was “cordial,” but declined to share details about what was said.

Zoom out: The White House severed the traditional relationship between the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA) and the communications office, drawing criticism for the government’s control in the process.

“I think that a small group of journalists who comprise the board of the White House Correspondents Association should not dictate who gets to go into the Oval Office and who gets to ride on Air Force One,” she said.
“There should be equal access for all outlets, and that’s exactly what we’re doing.”

Former Obama press secretary Jay Carney also Friday told Axios’ Eleanor Hawkins that the White House’s decision to increase access for non-traditional journalists, influencers and Trump-friendly outlets is “admirable.”

But he also defended the AP and warned that the administration won’t be able to control the narrative forever.

Catch up quick: The sparring between the WHCA and the White House communications shop started when the AP, a newswire with a daily spot in the pool, refused to use Gulf of America for the Gulf of Mexico.

The AP sued the White House for excluding its reporters and photographers from presidential events and Oval Office gaggles.
During the legal dispute, the White House took control of the daily rotation of reporters in the pool and severing the normal relationship with the WHCA.

The big picture: As traditional media loses influence, the White House is giving increasing access to a growing cast of Trump-friendly reporters, podcasters and influencers who boost his narratives from inside the house, Axios MAGA media expert Tal Axelrod has reported.

The increased access comes as part of the Trump administration’s push to elevate “new media,” which includes nonpartisan digital outlets like Axios and Semafor but also Trump-aligned outlets.
The White House is also remaking the seating chart in the Brady Briefing Room, adding space for Axios, NOTUS and Punchbowl.

What to watch: Trump has teased running for a third term, which is not allowed under the Constitution. This week, the official Trump store started selling “Trump 2028” hats on his official store website.

“It’s just a hat,” Leavitt said. “It’s not something he’s thinking of, though I hear hats are flying off the shelves.”

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with additional reporting.