The White House is reportedly eliminating a press pool slot that was specifically reserved for wire services, instead of complying with a court order that instructs the administration to restore the Associated Press' (AP) access to certain areas.

The change comes after a judge ordered the White House to lift its ban on AP reporters' access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and Mar-a-Lago amid a feud over the outlet's style guide. The ban was first enacted in February.

A White House official confirmed the shake-up of the White House daily press rotation to The Hill, stating it will now consist of four photojournalists, two print journalists from different publications, a crew from one major television network, a crew from a secondary news network or streaming service, one radio journalist and one “new media” or independent journalist.

Reporters from wire services will be eligible to join the daily press pool as a print journalist, but are no longer guaranteed a spot. Reuters and Bloomberg are also wire services. 

The shake-up also comes as the White House seeks more control over its daily press corps, which was typically assigned by the White House Correspondents’ Association. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt now makes the decisions.

NBC correspondent and former White House Correspondents' Association President Kelly O’Donnell slammed the move in a post on social media.

“Wire reporters are among the most knowledgeable and dedicated to the White House beat,” O’Donnell wrote on X. “They are on duty every day of the year and anywhere in the world needed to cover a president. Their work is a key building block for other media’s work. Wires fill a critical role in the public’s understanding of government and important events.”

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.