Tim Pool Hits Back at Critics Over White House Clothing
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Tim Pool has responded to criticism over the fact that he did not wear a suit to the White House briefing room on April 22.
Pool, who showed up to the White House in a beanie and a hoodie, said on X (formerly Twitter) that he "intentionally did not dress up for these dirty dirty smear merchants," referring to other reporters in the briefing room.
No Harry you don't get it
I intentionally did not dress up for these dirty dirty smear merchants
When I met Trump I wore a suit https://t.co/ovrTU3imc5 — Tim Pool (@Timcast) April 22, 2025
Pool has been working in media since 2011, when he began livestreaming the Occupy Wall Street movement. He then worked for Vice and Fusion TV before launching his own YouTube channel and podcast.
Newsweek has contacted Pool's YouTube show, Timcast, via email for comment.
Why It Matters
Pool sat in the "new media" seat at the White House on Tuesday, a new chair created by President Donald Trump's administration for non-traditional reporters such as YouTubers and podcasters.
While the White House said this new seating plan reflected the modern media landscape, traditional outlets claimed it undermined their ability to ask challenging questions of the White House, as the "new media" reporters are largely right-wing commentators with questions that are friendly to the administration.
Tim Pool in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington D.C.
Tim Pool in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House on Tuesday, April 22, 2025, in Washington D.C.
Alex Brandon/AP Photo
What To Know
Pool attended the White House briefing room on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who is being held in a detention center in El Salvador without access to due process.
Pool has expressed disdain for the media over a number of news agenda items, but most recently over coverage of Abrego Garcia, whom he has said should not be referred to as a "Mayland man."
He is referred to by many outlets as a "Maryland man" because he was living in the state with his wife and child before being deported without trial to El Salvador.
Pool believes this is a misnomer because he originally came to the U.S. without documentation from El Salvador in 2012, and his line of questions at the White House allowed press secretary Karoline Leavitt to reiterate the government's position.
His attire was called out by several people, including Harry Sisson, a left-wing TikTok creator and influencer, who called Pool "a hypocrite" for not wearing a suit.
This is because Pool used his show, Timcast, to criticize Ukrainian President Zelensky for not wearing a suit when he attended the White House in February.
On Timcast, Pool said: "Everybody knows that I'm, like, a very anti-suit, kind of slovenly guy. When we were told by people who worked with Trump. Like, friends of ours who work in the Republican Party, Trump is here. There's a bunch of senators and prominent individuals. You can come, you must wear a suit. I said, 'Yes sir.' And went and bought one. Zelensky doesn't."
Zelensky has not worn a suit to the White House since the beginning of the Russia-Ukraine War, saying he dresses down in solidarity with Ukrainian soldiers on the front lines.
Pool refuted the idea that he was being hypocritical, as he said he wore a suit to meet with Trump, but did not wear one to the briefing room.
President Donald Trump, right, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28, 2025, in Washington D.C.
President Donald Trump, right, with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in the Oval Office at the White House on February 28, 2025, in Washington D.C.
Mystyslav Chernov, File/AP Photo
What People Are Saying
Harry Sisson on X: "Tim Pool cried about President Zelensky not wearing a suit when he met with Trump, but this is how Tim showed up to the White House today. Zip-up jacket and a beanie. Maybe he shouldn't be such a hypocrite!"
Tim Pool on X: "No, Harry, you don't get it. I intentionally did not dress up for these dirty dirty smear merchants. When I met Trump I wore a suit."
What Happens Next
Media attention will be focused on what Pool wears to the next White House press briefing he attends. There is no briefing scheduled for April 23.
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