The White House Correspondents' Association is sounding the alarm over both Trump and Clinton


Neither Hillary Clinton nor Donald Trump has yet agreed to a protective press pool, and with just 15 days left until the election, the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) is sounding the alarm, The Huffington Post reports.
Presidents and president-elects are historically followed by a group of reporters who travel everywhere with the individual in order to report on what he or she is doing, with whom he or she is meeting, and are present if there is a historic event or threat on the president's or president-elect's life. Both Trump and Clinton have been criticized for their current traveling press pools, which aren't fully protective — Trump flies without his and has mocked them on the campaign trail, and reporters weren't told where Clinton was for over an hour after she became ill at a Sept. 11 memorial event, raising unnecessary alarm.
The WHCA board wrote stern letters to both Trump and Clinton's campaigns, stating disapproval over the unprecedented break with tradition. "The WHCA expects the new president-elect to have a protective pool immediately, just like the president does, and we are set to take over coordination of the pooling process from the campaign press corps directly after the election," they wrote. "Not having a protective pool accompany the president-elect would be a particularly serious breach of historical precedent and First Amendment responsibilities. It would prompt consistent and public criticism from the White House press corps, represented by the WHCA board. We urge you to take steps now to ensure that a protective pool is put in place."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Reuters correspondent Jeff Mason, who is also the president of the WHCA, told The Huffington Post that Clinton and Trump's situation is "not normal and it is unacceptable." Sen. John McCain and Gov. Mitt Romney both had protective pools as soon as they had finished the Republican conventions, by comparison.
In their letter to Trump, the WHCA board additionally expressed concerns that Trump's campaign is "lagging behind the level of press access provided by its Democratic counterpart." It has been 89 days since Trump last held a press conference.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats
-
Supreme Court rules for Fed’s Cook in Trump feud
Speed Read Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook can remain in her role following Trump’s attempts to oust her
-
Judge rules Trump illegally targeted Gaza protesters
Speed Read The Trump administration’s push to arrest and deport international students for supporting Palestine is deemed illegal
-
Trump: US cities should be military ‘training grounds’
Speed Read In a hastily assembled summit, Trump said he wants the military to fight the ‘enemy within’ the US
-
US government shuts down amid health care standoff
Speed Read Democrats said they won’t vote for a deal that doesn’t renew Affordable Care Act health care subsidies