A British journalist covering the president’s trip to Iowa was told he could not serve as part of the out‑of‑town print pool, according to two individuals familiar with the decision who spoke on condition of anonymity. Andrew Feinberg of the Independent received an unsigned email from the White House press office stating that he would be barred from the pool rotation that accompanies the president on trips outside Washington. The restriction came after a contentious exchange between Feinberg and the president on Wednesday, and it represents the latest instance of the administration limiting access for reporters whose reporting it finds objectionable.

The White House Correspondents’ Association issued a statement condemning the action, saying retaliation against journalists undermines the public’s right to an independent press. In a separate development, the White House sent a letter on Monday to Politico’s global editor in chief, Jonathan Greenberger, demanding that the outlet retract articles describing White House chief of staff Susie Wiles as having played a direct role in arranging an interview between former press secretary Katie Zacharia and Fox News host Sean Hannity. The letter warned that failure to retract the pieces within 48 hours could trigger a review of Politico’s relationship with the administration and potential legal remedies.

Politico acknowledged an error in one of the cited articles and issued a correction, stating that Wiles had not directly set up the interview but had offered “positive reinforcement.” The outlet’s legal counsel argued that the correction exemplified standard journalistic practice and criticized the White House’s letter as lacking factual basis. The counsel also pointed to a preliminary injunction that prevents the administration from revoking Politico’s access to the White House grounds, a ruling that followed an earlier attempt to bar the outlet along with CNN and MSNBC.

Meanwhile, CNN remains excluded from flying on Air Force One despite the court order restoring its pool privileges, a situation that has prompted the network to threaten further legal action. The Justice Department has also opened an antitrust investigation into several major television networks over their handling of the rotational TV pool after CNN’s removal from the White House grounds.

During a recent Oval Office exchange, reporter Andrew Feinberg questioned the administration about a bounty program that rewards a small percentage of recovered fraud. The president and vice president responded with dismissive remarks, and the White House’s official account later referred to Feinberg with a derogatory term. Feinberg later noted that he had undergone a routine physical and was in good health, and that he would resume his reporting duties the following day.