Latest news with #WHCA
The Hill
22-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Hill
Ozzy Osbourne: 5 memorable moments in politics
English rockstar Ozzy Osbourne, who died Tuesday, was beloved by fans in the U.S., but the former Black Sabbath frontman had a hot-and-cold relationship with American politics. Here are some memorable moments from the time that Osbourne, who died at age 76, spent dabbling in the U.S. political scene: WHCA, WHCA, WHCA: Osbourne was a featured guest at the White House Correspondents Association (WHCA)'s annual fête at the heigh of his publicity resurgence in 2002 and, by many accounts, ' stole the show. ' Then-President George W. Bush opened his speech welcoming, 'Washington power brokers, celebrities, Hollywood stars, Ozzy Osbourne,' while pronouncing his surname as 'Os-burn.' Osbourne then stood on the table and raised his hands in the air in front of the cheering crowd. 'Ozzy, mom loves your stuff,' the then-president quipped, referring to former first lady Barbara Bush. According to reports at the time, Osbourne and his wife, Sharon, made their way to the president's table during the event. 'Ozzy told [Bush] he should grow his hair long,' Sharon Osbourne told the New York Daily News. The well-coiffed president reportedly replied, 'maybe in the second term.' Members of Congress, politicos mourn: Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-Ind.) was among the first lawmakers to post about Osbourne's death on Tuesday. 'Ozzy was a true pioneer of heavy metal and an enduring symbol of the rebellious, freedom-loving spirit that resonates across our nation and throughout the world,' she wrote. 'He will be missed.' The Libertarian Party of New York also posted a tribute, along with a video of Osbourne singing Black Sabbath's 1970 anti-war protest song 'War Pigs.' 'Don't forget to call out the war pigs all around us,' the group wrote. Anti-war efforts Osbourne was a well-known anti-war activist. When the GOP used his song 'Crazy Train' at a campaign event without permission in 2004, he spoke out against the U.S. military campaign in Iraq. A few lines from Black Sabbath's 1970 song 'War Pigs': 'Politicians hide themselves away They only started the war Why should they go out to fight? They leave that role to the poor…' In an episode of 'The Osbournes' podcast last year, he warned that the U.S. should be ready for another war. 'If there's a war again, which it looks like [it] very possibly could, China's already for it,' he said. 'They've got mandatory [military service].' 'You got a choice: You gotta go to jail or military,' he added. Going off the rails… Many musicians have taken issue with President Trump's use of their tunes during his campaigns, and Osbourne is no exception. When Trump used the song 'Crazy Train' to blast Democrats in a 2019 video on social media, the Osbournes asked him to stop. 'Based on this morning's unauthorized use of Ozzy Osbourne's 'Crazy Train,' we are sending notice to the Trump campaign (or any other campaigns) that they are forbidden from using any of Ozzy Osbourne's music in political ads or in any political campaigns,' Osbourne's team said in a statement at the time. 'Ozzy's music cannot be used for any means without approvals.' 'In the meantime, we have a suggestion for Mr. Trump: perhaps he should reach out to some of his musician friends. Maybe Kanye West ('Gold Digger'), Kid Rock ('I Am the Bullgod') or Ted Nugent ('Stranglehold') will allow use of their music,' the statement added. Across the pond Osbourne was a critic of the so-called 'Brexit' movement in his home country. He called the effort a 'f— joke' in an interview with the music magazine 'The Big Issue' in 2018. 'I don't understand Brexit — I don't think anybody does,' he told the outlet. 'You watch TV, and it's all this shouting and screaming about Brexit, but nobody's got a f—ng clue what it really means.' 'Brexit' was the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union alliance in 2020, following a far-right push that's been celebrated by some in the U.S.
Daily Mail
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
Trump expels wall street journal reporter from Scotland trip coverage
By Published: | Updated: The White House on Monday removed a Wall Street Journal reporter from the president's trip to Scotland this weekend, after the newspaper reported that the president signed a salacious letter to Jeffrey Epstein for his birthday in 2003. The bombshell report claimed Trump wrote a 'bawdy' 50th birthday card to Epstein, which concluded: 'Happy Birthday - and may every day be another wonderful secret,' and featured a hand-drawn image of a unclothed woman as well as his signature. The report drew immediate condemnation from the White House as the president decried it as a 'fake' and berated the Journal for publishing the story. The Journal's reporters will no longer be able to travel with the president to Scotland as part of the regular pool rotation. 'Due to the Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board,' Leavitt said to Politico. Every news organization in the entire world wishes to cover President Trump, and the White House has taken significant steps to include as many voices as possible.' The news only adds to criticism of the president from the media, which protest the exclusion of reporters from the press pool. The White House Correspondents' Association condemned the decision as 'deeply troubling.' 'Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media,' WHCA president Weijia Jiang, a CBS News correspondent, said in a statement. 'We strongly urge the White House to restore the Wall Street Journal to its previous position in the pool and aboard Air Force One for the President's upcoming trip to Scotland,' she added. The president is traveling to Scotland on Friday for a five-day visit to Turnberry and Aberdeen, where he has pristine golf courses. He will also meet with United Kingdom Prime Minister Keir Starmer to discuss a trade deal with the United States. Trump filed a $10 billion lawsuit against the Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch, calling the story 'false, malicious, and defamatory.' Trump is requesting a jury trial and is suing 'for damages, punitive damages, court costs, and such other relief as the Court deems just and proper, not to be less than $10 billion dollars.' But Trump's lawsuit may face difficulty as it has landed in the courtroom of Darrin Gayles, a judge appointed to the court by former President Barack Obama. The Trump administration removed the Associated Press from the traveling press pool in February because the media group refused to adopt Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America.
Time of India
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Trump boots Wall Street Journal reporter from Scotland trip after Epstein birthday letter story
President Donald Trump has blocked a Wall Street Journal reporter from joining the press pool for his visit to Scotland, following the paper's publication of a birthday message allegedly sent by him to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein . The trip, from 25 to 29 July, includes stops at his golf properties in Turnberry and Aberdeen, according to CBS News . White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the decision on Monday: "Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool to cover the President's trip to Scotland. Due to The Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the 13 outlets on board," she said, as reported by The Washington Post. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Select a Course Category Technology Project Management MBA Cybersecurity healthcare Data Analytics Others Finance Healthcare others Leadership Data Science Operations Management Public Policy Digital Marketing Management CXO Degree Design Thinking Data Science Product Management Artificial Intelligence PGDM MCA Skills you'll gain: Duration: 12 Weeks MIT xPRO CERT-MIT XPRO Building AI Prod India Starts on undefined Get Details The reporter, Tarini Parti, had been scheduled to cover the trip. The Wall Street Journal declined to comment on the exclusion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Treatment That Might Help You Against Knee Pain Knee pain | search ads Find Now Undo Defamation lawsuit follows Epstein note report The ban comes just days after the Journal published an article featuring a 2003 note allegedly sent by Trump to Epstein. The note, detailed in The Washington Post, included a drawing of a nude woman and read: "Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret." Trump's name was reportedly signed beneath the message. The White House called the note and drawing fabricated and said it had pressured the Journal not to publish the piece. Following its publication, Trump filed a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against Dow Jones, News Corp, CEO Robert Thomson, Rupert Murdoch, and two Journal journalists. Live Events A spokesperson for Dow Jones said last week: "We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," according to The Washington Post. WHCA responds: Retaliation against the press The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) quickly condemned the decision. In a statement, the organisation said: "This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment. Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media." WHCA president Weijia Jiang added: "We strongly object and find the move unacceptable." She confirmed that she had raised the matter directly with the White House. "As of this writing, that remains unclear. I will share updates as I receive them," she said, referring to whether the exclusion was a one-off or part of a broader policy shift. Control over press pool tightens Traditionally, press pool rotation was handled by the WHCA. But under Trump's administration, that responsibility has shifted to the White House itself. This isn't the first time an outlet has been sidelined. Previously, the Associated Press was blocked from pool coverage for refusing to adopt the administration's preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico. That case has since moved to court. The presidential press pool, a select group of reporters who travel with and observe the president, acts as a stand-in for the broader White House press corps. Excluding a major publication raises concern about both transparency and fairness. This lawsuit marks Trump's first known defamation case filed while in office. Legal observers say it's a significant step. Free speech attorney Floyd Abrams commented: "There's nothing inherently wrong with a president bringing a libel suit. But this claim certainly seems like nothing more or less than an effort to suppress speech that our president finds discomforting. That's not why we have libel law. It's why we have a First Amendment." Trump has used litigation against media before. Past suits have targeted CBS News, ABC News, and Meta. In those cases, he won settlements worth millions. However, those companies had business interests beyond news. This time, News Corp and the Journal have news at their core, and they have said they will fight. Some outlets have distanced themselves from the Epstein letter story altogether. Fox News, for instance, avoided it almost entirely, with host Howard Kurtz later saying on his programme Media Buzz: "The president has drawn extra attention to the Journal's reporting." Others remain cautious. According to Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, lawsuits like this are often about sending a message. "These are lawsuits that have no hope of actually succeeding as lawsuits, but nevertheless have the potential to chill media organizations from doing what all of us need them to do," he said. The Wall Street Journal, known for its conservative editorial stance, hasn't shied away from criticising Trump. Its independence sets it apart from other Murdoch-owned media like Fox News and the New York Post, which have remained more aligned with the president. But Trump's shifting base and unresolved Epstein files have created new friction. Some of his supporters have turned critical, while others push for silence on the topic. Fox News reportedly held back coverage after Trump advised allies not to engage. Trump's battles with the media extend beyond lawsuits and press pool exclusions. His administration has sought to strip federal support from public broadcasters such as NPR and PBS, citing bias against conservatives. Voice of America has also come under fire. The broader concern, according to media advocates, is the cumulative impact. Stories might go unwritten. Editors might hesitate. Journalists might self-censor. And when major outlets face punishment for simply doing their job, press freedom takes a hit. For now, the Journal remains defiant. But with the president's trip to Scotland days away, the message from the White House is clear: step out of line, and lose your seat on the plane.
RTÉ News
22-07-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
White House restricts Wall Street Journal access to Trump over Epstein story
The White House has barred The Wall Street Journal from traveling with US President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to Scotland, after the newspaper reported that he wrote a 50th birthday greeting to his former friend, alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The move comes after Mr Trump on Friday sued the WSJ and its media magnate owner Rupert Murdoch for at least $10 billion (€8.5 billion) over the allegation in the article, which Mr Trump denies. The Trump administration's handling of the Epstein case has threatened to split the Republican's far-right Make America Great Again (MAGA) base, with some of his supporters calling for a full release of the so-called "Epstein Files". The punishment of the Wall Street Journal marks at least the second time the Trump administration has moved to exclude a major news outlet from the press pool over its reporting, having barred Associated Press journalists from multiple key events since February. "As the appeals court confirmed, The Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces," said Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. "Due to The Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the 13 outlets on board (Air Force One)." Mr Trump departs this weekend for Scotland, where he owns two golf resorts and will meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Earlier this month, the US Department of Justice, under Trump-appointed Attorney General Pam Bondi, said there was no evidence suggesting disgraced financier Epstein had kept a "client list" or was blackmailing powerful figures before his death in 2019. In its story on Thursday, the WSJ reported that Mr Trump had written a suggestive birthday letter to Epstein, illustrated with a naked woman and alluding to a shared "secret". Epstein, a longtime friend of Mr Trump and multiple other high-profile men, was found dead in a New York prison cell in 2019 while awaiting trial on charges that he sexually exploited dozens of underage girls at his homes in New York and Florida. The case sparked conspiracy theories, especially among Mr Trump's far-right voters, about an alleged international cabal of wealthy pedophiles. Epstein's death, which was declared a suicide, before he could face trial, supercharged that narrative. Since returning to power in January, Mr Trump has moved to increase control over the press covering the White House. In February, the Oval Office stripped the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) of its nearly century-old authority to oversee which outlets have access to certain restricted presidential events, with Mr Trump saying that he was now "calling the shots" on media access. In a statement, the WHCA president urged the White House to "restore" the WSJ to the pool. "This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment," said WHCA President Weijia Jiang.
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Business Standard
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
WHCA slams White House for excluding WSJ from Scotland trip over coverage
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has strongly condemned the White House's decision to remove the Wall Street Journal from the travelling press pool for the upcoming Scotland trip, citing concerns over the publication's editorial content. President Trump is visiting his ancestral home in Scotland from July 25 to 29, with stops in Aberdeen and Turnberry, according to CBS News. In an on-the-record statement, WHCA said, "This attempt by the White House to punish a media outlet whose coverage it does not like is deeply troubling, and it defies the First Amendment. Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media." WHCA President Weijia Jiang assured colleagues that upon learning about the decision, she directly communicated that the WHCA "strongly objects and finds the move unacceptable." She added that efforts are underway to clarify whether this removal is a one-time action or if the White House plans to exclude the Wall Street Journal from all pool rotations, which could impact planning for many media outlets. "As of this writing, that remains unclear. I will share updates as I receive them," she said. Jiang also encouraged members to reach out with any questions or concerns. The move follows The Journal's publication of a Thursday article revealing a lewd birthday note sent to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein in 2003. The note included a drawing of a nude woman and ended with the message, "Happy Birthday, and may every day be another wonderful secret," according to The Washington Post. The paper was allegedly signed by Trump. The White House described the drawing and letter as fake and said it had pressured The Journal not to publish the article. Following the publication, a lawsuit was filed against The Journal's publisher, Dow Jones, its parent company, News Corp, CEO Robert Thomson, Rupert Murdoch, and two Journal reporters, The Washington Post reported. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday, "Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool to cover the President's trip to Scotland. Due to The Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the 13 outlets on board," according to The Washington Post. A Wall Street Journal spokeswoman declined to comment, while Dow Jones defended its reporting last week, stating, "We have full confidence in the rigour and accuracy of our reporting, and will vigorously defend against any lawsuit," as per The Washington Post. The press pool, comprising journalists from various outlets who travel with the President and serve as the eyes and ears of the broader White House press corps, has faced increasing pressure from the Trump administration. This includes the administration taking over the role of deciding which publications may participate, a shift previously managed by the Correspondents' Association, as noted by The Washington Post. Earlier, the White House had also barred The Associated Press from the press pool over its refusal to use the administration's preferred name change for the Gulf of Mexico, highlighting ongoing tensions with certain media outlets, The Washington Post added.
