Amid Epstein-Donald Trump row, White House pulls The Wall Street Journal from Scotland press pool

Ahead of Donald Trump’s Scotland trip, the White House banned Wall Street Journal reporters from the travelling press pool. The move comes after the publication reported on alleged ties between the president and the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. “Due to The Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the 13 outlets on board," Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said in a statement, according to AFP.

The White House bars The Wall Street Journal from Scotland press pool

The press pool is a group of reporters who get exclusive access to private spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One to cover the president. They are a rotating crew who get a turn. Earlier, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA), an independent nonprofit group made up of White House reporters, was responsible for deciding who got to be in the pool. Commenting on the White House move, Weijia Jiang, president of the WHCA, called the move ‘deeply troubling’.

"Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media," Jiang said. 'We strongly urge the White House to restore The Wall Street Journal to its previous position in the pool and aboard Air Force One for the President's upcoming trip to Scotland,” Jiang said in a statement, as per reports.

What The Wall Street Journal's report on Trump in connection with Jeffrey Epstein 

The WSJ on Thursday published an article claiming that US President Donald Trump had sent Jeffrey Epstein a lewd birthday note in 2003. The article detailed that the letter included a drawing of a nude woman, with a note that read, “Happy Birthday — and may every day be another wonderful secret.” Following this, Trump took legal action against Rupert Murdoch, Dow Jones, News Corp CEO Robert Thomson, and the Wall Street Journal reporters.

Trump claimed defamation and sought a whopping $10 billion in damages. Earlier, he denied a report by the Wall Street Journal linking him to Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted sex offender. In response, a Dow Jones spokesperson stated, "We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit,” according to reports. 

Earlier, the White House barred The Associated Press from an executive order signing in the Oval Office over their continued stand to use the name Gulf of Mexico instead of ‘Gulf of America’.