There’s a new administration in the White House—and a new class of journalists will be covering it. President Donald Trump‘s press secretary Karoline Leavitt presided over the first press conference of the second Trump era on Tuesday and revealed that, going forward, the briefing room door would be open to podcasters, social media influencers, and even TikTok content creators,
“President Trump is back and the golden age of American has most definitely begun,” Leavitt said at the top of the 45-minute briefing, boasting that the White House press corps would have access to the “the most transparent and accessible president in American history” over the next four years.
“That’s because President Trump has a great story to tell about the great American revival that is already underway,” added Leavitt, who is the youngest person to serve as press secretary at 27 years old. And she made it clear that story would be shared beyond the usual news outlets who have traditionally been represented in the briefing room.
“Americans trust in mass media has fallen to a record low,” Leavitt claimed, citing a recent Gallup poll. “It’s essential to our team that we share President Trump’s message everywhere and adapt this White House to the new media landscape in 2025.”
Over the course of the 45-minute briefing, Leavitt struck a forceful and, at times, combative tone with the journalists in the room. That tone is likely to be consistent across the administration in terms of how it deals with the press. Prior to his election, Trump filed defamation suits against ABC News and CBS News over aspects of their coverage; ABC News has since settled its lawsuit.
“We know for a fact there have been lies that have been pushed by many legacy media outlets in this country about this president, about his family and we will not accept that,” Leavitt remarked during the briefing. “We will call you out when we feel that your reporting is wrong or there is misinformation about this White House.”
In that context, the decision to credential independent journalists appears to be another check on broadcast and cable news outlets. Leavitt explained that “new media voices who produce news-related content” can apply for briefing room credentials via a newly-created form on the official White House website.
“We encourage anybody in this country, whether you are a TikTok content creator, a blogger, [or] a podcaster,” the press secretary remarked. “If you are producing legitimate news content no matter the medium, you will be allowed to apply for press credentials to this White House.”