The White House has formally barred The Wall Street Journal from joining the press corps for President Donald Trump's upcoming trip to Scotland, escalating a confrontation between the president and one of America's leading financial publications. The decision follows Trump's filing of a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the Journal, its publisher Dow Jones, Rupert Murdoch, and reporters Khadeeja Safdar and Joseph Palazzolo over their reporting on an alleged birthday letter he purportedly wrote to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

In a statement to Politico, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that "access to the president is not a guaranteed right," adding, "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." She further justified the move by labeling the outlet's reporting as "fake and defamatory," stating, "They will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board."

Leavitt framed the decision as part of a broader effort to diversify press access, claiming, "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."

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The lawsuit, filed on July 18 in a Miami court, reflects a deeper rift between Trump and long-time ally Rupert Murdoch. It specifically targets an article published by The Wall Street Journal that cited documents allegedly linking Trump to Epstein, a report the former president has denounced as entirely fabricated. In tandem with the lawsuit, Trump has ordered the Justice Department to unseal grand jury records related to Epstein, suggesting a strategic counteroffensive aimed at shifting public focus.

The legal action has been hailed by Trump supporters as a stand against media overreach, with MAGA figures framing it as part of a wider struggle against the so-called "deep state press." Critics, however, view it as another instance of Trump using his political power to punish unfavorable coverage.

Read more: House speaker demands Epstein files release

President Trump is set to travel to Scotland from July 25 to 29, where he will meet with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer. While the trip represents a significant diplomatic engagement, the exclusion of The Wall Street Journal, a publication historically viewed as sympathetic to conservative causes, signals the widening fissures within the right-leaning media ecosystem.