#Jack Posbiec

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Gideon Taaffe and Jack Winstanley at MMFA:

President Donald Trump has been openly courting MAGA media figures — giving them significant access to his new administration and even appointing former Fox News hosts to prominent positions in the government. The Trump administration has simultaneously welcomed MAGA influencers into the White House, Cabinet departments, and other federal agencies while restricting access of mainstream media that have long covered those institutions. Many of these right-wing media figures have previously spread outright misinformation and hateful conspiracy theories — and now some of them appear to be giving policy cues to the new administration.

The Trump White House has become increasingly hostile to mainstream media as it favors right-wing influencers

Trump terminated The Associated Press’ access “in the Oval Office, on Air Force One and at other White House events” because the outlet refused to update its style guidelines after he changed the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.” Politico reported, “President Donald Trump personally decided to bar The Associated Press from some White House events and spaces, the White House said in court documents Monday.” Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on February 25 that the White House will now directly control which outlets are in the press pool, a task historically managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association. [Politico, 2/24/25; The Hill, 2/25/25]

The Pentagon announced that NBC, The New York Times, NPR, and Politico will “rotate out of the building” to make space for the New York Post, One America News Network, Breitbart, and others. The switch is the first iteration of the Pentagon’s new “Annual Media Rotation Program,” which The Washington Post reports “will swap news outlets from print, TV, radio and online news for other organizations that have not had the opportunity to report from the office space, according to the memo.” [The Washington Post, 2/1/25; The Daily Beast, 1/31/25]

The White House began using the “new media” seat at the White House press briefings to let in far right-wing voices. The “new media” seat was established to “welcome independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators” to the White House. [White House, 1/29/25; Columbia Journalism Review, 2/19/25]

Trump’s first administration fostered a feedback loop between the White House and Fox News. The first Trump administration regularly relied on Fox News talking points and hired at least 20 former Fox employees. This feedback loop seems primed to continue in his second term, with Fox News recently hiring the president’s daughter-in-law, Lara Trump, to host a weekly show. [Media Matters, 11/19/24; MSNBC, 2/6/25]

Trump has already appointed many members of right-wing media to high-level positions in his second administration. These appointments include former Fox News personalities Pete Hegseth, Sean Duffy, and Tulsi Gabbard as Cabinet secretaries. Other Fox News personalities like Leo Terrell and Dan Bongino have similarly been appointed to high-level positions. Trump has also included more fringe members of right-wing media like Darren Beattie and Kash Patel. [Media Matters, 11/14/24, 1/17/25, 2/24/25, 1/28/25; CNN, 2/12/25; CBS News, 1/28/25; Reuters, 2/4/25]

Real America’s Voice correspondent Ben Bergquam, Fox News’ Bill Melugin, and conservative personality Dr. Phil (real name Phil McGraw) have all participated in ride-alongs for ICE raids or Border Patrol activities. In one video posted by Dr. Phil, he can be seen standing alongside Trump “border czar” Tom Homan and questioning a detained individual about his background and immigration status. [YouTube, 2/14/25; Fox News, 1/23/25; People magazine, 1/31/25]

White House press briefings have welcomed various MAGA media figures and influencers — some of whom have occupied the “new media” seat. According to Media Matters’ internal data, Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski, Breitbart’s Matthew Boyle, Real America's Voice’s Brian Glenn, The Gateway Pundit’s Jordan Conradson, and conservative podcasters Sage Steele and the hosts of the Ruthless Podcast have all appeared at the White House briefings. Other attendees have included OAN’s Daniel Baldwin, Newsmax’s James Rosen, Turning Point USA’s Monica Paige Luisi, and The Daily Caller’s Reagan Reese. [Instagram, 2/12/25; WhiteHouse.gov, 1/29/25]

Pavlovski also visited the Federal Communications Commission and met with Chairman Brendan Carr, who said, “His commitment to free speech and diversity of viewpoints serves as a terrific model for all business.” [Twitter/X, 2/12/25] 

Former ESPN reporter Sage Steele, who now has a right-leaning podcast, was also invited to the White House for the Black History Month reception. Steele was pulled “off the air at ESPN after she called vaccine mandates ‘sick’ and ‘scary’ and questioned why former President Barack Obama identifies as Black even though he was raised by his white mother.” Failed Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker also reportedly attended the February 20 White House event. [The Associated Press, 2/21/25; NPR, 10/6/21]

During the 2nd term of the Trump Misadministration, the MAGA media influencer circuit has gotten increased access and prominence, while crowding out non-MAGA outlets as part of Trump's war on press freedom.

See Also:

CNN: Trump White House’s new press policy: Threats, revenge and MAGA media favoritism