Trump admin restores 440 press passes revoked by Biden, welcoming new media members

“The most transparent and accessible president in American history.”

That’s what White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called President Donald Trump in her first press conference of…

“The most transparent and accessible president in American history.”

That’s what White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called President Donald Trump in her first press conference of the new administration on Tuesday. 

“And in keeping with this revolutionary media approach that President Trump deployed during the campaign, the Trump White House will speak to all media outlets and personalities, not just the legacy media who are seated in this room, because according to recent polling from Gallup, Americans’ trust in mass media has fallen to a record low,” she said. 

Leavitt also announced the restoration of 440 media credentials that she said “were wrongly revoked by the previous administration.” 

Leavitt noted that in addition to the restoration of the previously revoked passes, the White House would welcome other types of alternative media to the press briefings, including independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers and content creators. 

Leavitt noted that Americans are seeking alternatives to the legacy media, so the White House has to adapt to the demands of the citizens.   

The strategy is a continuation of Trump’s attempt to speak over the heads of the legacy media, which he employed during the campaign, taking his case directly to the American people, in much the same way President Ronald Reagan once did.  

Known as the Great Communicator, Reagan spoke simply and stuck to basic truths that are universally understood. 

“What I said simply made sense to the [man] on the street,” said Reagan, who wasn’t afraid of mixing it up with the media. 

Leavitt also said that the president is assuring the country that the drone activity in December that the Biden administration seemed strangely reticent about was either legitimate research or hobbyists, with interest blown out of proportion because Biden refused to address the issue. 

“After research and study, the drones that were flying over New Jersey, in large numbers, were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research and various other reasons,” she said. Many of these drones were also hobbyists, recreational and private individuals [who] enjoy flying drones. … It got worse due to curiosity; this was not the enemy.” 

The first press briefing came just one week into an extraordinarily busy launch for the Trump administration, which included many media appearances. 

“This past week, President Trump has held multiple news conferences, Gaggle on Air Force One multiple times and sat down for a two-part interview on Fox News, which aired last week,” said Leavitt. “As Politico summed it up best, Trump is everywhere again. And that’s because President Trump has a great story to tell about the legendary American revival that is well underway.”