What Did Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Announce at the Jan. 28, 2025 Briefing?

TL;DR

Karoline Leavitt announced that independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators could apply for White House credentials through wh.house.gov/New Media. The administration also created a front-row New Media seat and pledged to restore press passes for 440 journalists. Read on for details about the application process, Trump’s executive actions, the New Jersey drones, Colombia, and DeepSeek.

Transcript

good afternoon everybody how are we good to see all of you it's an honor to be here with all of you a lot of familiar faces in the room a lot of new faces and president Trump is back and the Golden Age of America has most definitely begun the Senate has already confirmed five of President Trump's exceptional cabinet nominees Secreta... Read More

Key Insights

• The New Media seat is a newly designated spot at the front of the James S. Brady briefing room, previously used by press secretary staff, now reserved for independent outlets not already holding a room seat.
• Credentials for the White House are open to podcasters, bloggers, TikTok content creators, and social media influencers who produce legitimate news content, provided they meet criteria and pass Secret Service requirements.
• The White House stated it will work to restore the press passes of 440 journalists whose passes it says were wrongly revoked by the previous administration.
• President Trump has taken more than 300 executive actions since taking office, according to Leavitt, including declaring a national emergency at the southern border and ending Catch and Release.
• The administration says it secured nearly $1 trillion in US investments and directed emergency price relief to address inflation from the prior administration's policies.
• After Colombia denied a US military aircraft carrying deported citizens, Trump directed sanctions and tariffs on the Colombian government, and within hours Colombia agreed to all his demands.
• The New Jersey drones were authorized by the FAA for research and other reasons, with many flown by hobbyists and private individuals; the president stated this was not the enemy.
• Trump called China's DeepSeek AI a wakeup call to the American AI industry and appointed David Sacks as AI and crypto czar to ensure American AI dominance.

Questions & Answers

Q: What did Karoline Leavitt announce in her first White House press briefing?

Karoline Leavitt announced that the White House would open press access to independent journalists, podcasters, social media influencers, and content creators. Applicants could seek credentials through wh.house.gov/New Media, and a New Media seat was created at the front of the James S. Brady briefing room.

Q: How can podcasters and content creators apply for White House press credentials?

They can apply through wh.house.gov/New Media if they produce legitimate news content and represent an outlet without an existing briefing-room seat. Applications are reviewed by the White House, and successful applicants must meet its criteria and pass Secret Service requirements.

Q: What is the New Media seat in the White House briefing room?

It is a newly designated seat at the front of the James S. Brady briefing room in a spot previously used by the press secretary’s staff. It is reserved for qualifying New Media outlets that are not already represented by a seat in the room.

Q: Why is the White House opening its briefing room to New Media?

Leavitt said millions of Americans, especially young people, receive news through podcasts, blogs, social media, and other independent outlets. She also cited Gallup polling showing that trust in mass media had fallen to a record low and said the White House wanted to adapt to the New Media landscape in 2025.

Q: What did the White House say about the 440 revoked press passes?

Leavitt said the administration would work to restore the passes of 440 journalists whose access it said had been wrongly revoked by the previous administration. She presented that pledge as part of its commitment to the First Amendment and broader press access.

Q: What executive actions did Karoline Leavitt highlight?

Leavitt said Trump had taken more than 300 executive actions since taking office. She highlighted actions declaring a national emergency at the southern border, ending Catch and Release, directing emergency price relief, terminating diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, and declaring federal policy recognizing two sexes, male and female.

Q: What did the briefing say about the New Jersey drones?

Leavitt said the drones were authorized by the FAA for research and various other reasons. She added that many were flown by hobbyists, recreational users, and private individuals, and relayed the president’s statement that they were not the enemy.

Q: What happened between the Trump administration and Colombia over deportation flights?

Leavitt said Colombia denied a U.S. military aircraft carrying Colombian citizens deported by the administration. Trump then directed sanctions and tariffs against the Colombian government, and Colombia agreed to all of his demands within hours.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Karoline Leavitt, described as the youngest press secretary in history, opened her briefing by highlighting Trump's first-week actions: over 300 executive actions, nearly $1 trillion in US investments, deportations of illegal aliens, and executive orders ending DEI programs and declaring only two sexes, male and female.

• The central announcement was a New Media initiative. The briefing room will add a New Media seat and accept credential applications from independent journalists, podcasters, influencers, and content creators at a new website, wh.house.gov/New Media, citing record-low public trust in traditional mass media per Gallup polling.

• Leavitt shared news that the New Jersey drones were FAA-authorized for research and flown partly by hobbyists, addressed DeepSeek as a wakeup call for American AI, and noted Colombia quickly agreed to Trump's deportation demands after he threatened sanctions and tariffs.