White House drops WSJ from Scotland press pool over Epstein report

The White House on Monday droppedThe Wall Street Journal from the press pool for President Donald Trump’s upcoming trip to Scotland. This comes just days after Trump filed a $10billion defamation lawsuit against the paper for reporting that he sent Jeffrey Epstein a “bawdy” birthday note in2003.

“Due to The Wall Street Journal’s fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board,” said press secretary Karoline Leavitt in a statement.

“Every news organisation in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible.”

Tarini Parti, a White House reporter for The Wall Street Journal, was initially scheduled to serve as the print pool reporter during the final two days of Trump’s four-day visit to his golf courses in Turnberry and Aberdeen, Scotland. However, according to Politico, Parti was removed from the official trip manifest by the White House.

Trump will head to Scotland next week, visiting areas where his family owns two golf courses and is opening a third. The President will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss trade ahead of an official state visit to Britain in September.

Trump’s trip, scheduled from July 25–29, will include stops at Turnberry — home to a historic golf course and hotel he purchased in 2014 — and Aberdeen, where one Trump golf course has operated since 2012 and a new one is set to open in August, the White House said last week.

During the trip, Trump plans to meet with Starmer to “refine” a previously announced trade deal, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Located on the Ayrshire coast, about 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Aberdeen, Trump Turnberry is one of 10 courses on the rotation to host the British Open — the oldest of the four major championships in men’s golf — but it hasn’t staged the event since 2009, before Trump bought the resort.

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With inputs from Associated Press