Letter from @rcfp urging the White House to restore the AP’s access, citing the First Amendmemt. 30+ news organizations signed on in support pic.twitter.com/hngsvQGQfx

— Liam Scott (@liamjscott) February 20, 2025

Coming together to support a competitor’s access to a particular administration is not new for media outlets. Back in 2009, the broadcast and cable news outlets stood in support of Fox News after Barack Obama’s administration wanted to keep the news network out of the press pool when it offered an interview with Kenneth Feinberg of the Treasury Department.

In 2018, journalists and the WHCA came to CNN’s defense after the first Trump administration banned former White House reporter and anchor Jim Acosta after a contentious press briefing. Acosta received an indefinite ban, which barred him from setting foot on the White House grounds.

Former president of the WHCA, Oliver Knox, released a statement at that time saying, “Revoking access to the White House complex is a reaction out of line to the purported offense and is unacceptable.”

CNN immediately sued the White House, and Acosta’s access to the complex was soon restored.