Karoline Leavitt Claims White House Blocked Access for Reporters Because They Were Caught Spying on Staff

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt claimed some free roaming access for reporters was restricted in the White House after some were found secretly “recording” staff.

Leavitt joined Miranda Devine for Wednesday’s episode of the Pod Force One podcast where the press secretary explained restricting access to the press secretary’s Upper Press office. Reporters previously had access, but now need an appointment.

Leavitt said:

We have taken over the responsibilities of the National Security Council, thanks to the restructuring of Secretary [Marco] Rubio when he became National Security Advisor. Steven Cheung and I are responsible for all communications matters, including national security. And so we felt it became very inappropriate for reporters to be loitering around sensitive information in our offices. And we did, unfortunately, catch some unruly reporters recording us without our permission, listening in on conversations, eavesdropping. We would have staff meetings in the morning. Some of the reporters started to pick up on that, and they would be out there trying to listen.

Leavitt added that she and others felt the behavior was innappropriate, thus the new restrictions were put in place. She also claimed Rubio would be “heckled” when he was going to meetings.

“If Secretary Rubio or the chief want to come in and brief us on something, you’d have reporters out there heckling them, and it just became an inappropriate work environment,” she said.

Leavitt further claimed that despite backlash to the decision, some reporters have said they are okay with the change as long as appointments are actually granted.

“I give them as much time as I possibly can on my schedule,” she said. “Although a lot of my time is with the president and in the Oval Office and sitting in on meetings. So I try to devote as much time as I can to the press because that is my job, right?”

Watch above via Pod Force One.