• The White House has banned the Wall Street Journal from the press pool covering Trump’s Scotland trip.
• The decision follows a report about a controversial letter Trump allegedly sent to Jeffrey Epstein.
• Trump has filed a lawsuit against the Journal claiming defamation over the publication.

The White House has officially removed the Wall Street Journal from the press pool for President Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland, citing the outlet's "fake and defamatory" conduct regarding a report on a letter allegedly written by Trump to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt emphasized that "Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool" while excluding the Journal due to their reporting on the controversial letter, which included what was described as a “bawdy” message and drawing, according to The Hill, HuffPost, CBS News, India Times, and TRT Global.

The conflict escalated when Trump filed a libel lawsuit against the Journal following the publication of the letter’s details. The president described the letter as a fabrication and is seeking at least $10 billion in damages for resulting harm to his reputation, as reported by multiple sources including The Hill, HuffPost, and India Times.

The decision to remove the Journal from the press pool has drawn sharp criticism from the White House Correspondents’ Association, which stated that this act of exclusion underlines a troubling trend of government retaliation against media outlets based on their reporting. The WHCA President Weijia Jiang remarked, "Such actions deprive Americans of information about how their government operates," underscoring the implications for free press principles, as conveyed by CBS News and TRT Global.

The New York Times has also condemned the White House’s actions, calling them "simple retribution" and an attack on constitutional principles of free speech. The Times emphasized that the public deserves access to information regarding the president's actions, especially as the controversy surrounding Trump and Epstein continues to unfold, according to The Hill and India Times.