The recent clash between Donald Trump and the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) is nothing to celebrate. However, there’s plenty of blame to go around. The WHCA’s loss of control over the selection of “pool reporters” — a role now reserved for the president’s staff — has sparked outrage. But as Fox News reporter Jacqui Heinrich warned, the real danger isn’t just what Trump is doing now. It’s what happens when a future Democratic administration takes advantage of the same precedent.
Her warning is spot on. Political power is a boomerang — the tools one administration forges will inevitably be used by its opponents. Conservatives, by their nature, tend to recognize these trade-offs. But the WHCA, in its pursuit of partisanship over prudence, has repeatedly ignored them.
The WHCA’s Credibility Problem
The WHCA wants to present itself as an objective steward of press freedom, but its actions often tell a different story. Take Eugene Daniels, the WHCA’s elected president, who recently announced his move from Politico to MSNBC. It’s a career move that makes sense for him personally, but it undermines the WHCA’s claim of impartiality. It’s hard to take the organization’s protests seriously when its leader is joining a network known for left-leaning commentary.
This pattern isn’t new. The WHCA has long blurred the line between journalism and activism. Nowhere is this more evident than at its annual dinner, a self-indulgent spectacle where journalists and politicians mingle with celebrities. The event has become a stage for attacking Republicans, with comedians taking cheap shots at conservatives while largely sparing Democrats. Even when recent hosts attempted a more balanced approach, it wasn’t out of journalistic integrity—it was a response to shifting political winds.
Double Standards and the Press
The WHCA’s selective outrage has also hurt its credibility. When the Biden White House tried to pressure journalists into softening their coverage of the special counsel report on Biden’s age, the WHCA’s response was muted. But when Trump’s team made changes to pool reporter selection—a less direct attack on press freedom—the WHCA reacted with fierce condemnation. These inconsistencies reveal an organization more concerned with partisan narratives than protecting the media’s independence.
Trump’s Media Strategy and the Future
Despite his combative relationship with the press, Trump is unlikely to isolate himself completely from mainstream journalists. He enjoys the spotlight too much to retreat into an echo chamber. But Heinrich is right to warn that a future president might not be as open. By failing to uphold consistent standards, the WHCA has made it easier for politicians of all stripes to justify restricting press access.
The real lesson here isn’t just about Trump or the WHCA. It’s about the long-term consequences of short-term political gamesmanship. Institutions that abandon neutrality for partisanship will eventually face pushback. If the WHCA wants to restore its credibility, it must start by holding itself to the same standards it demands from others. Otherwise, it has only itself to blame when the rules of the game change in ways it doesn’t like.
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