The White House News Photographers Association accused Vice President Kamala Harris' campaign team of engaging in an "unprecedented reduction in access" to the news media, according to Axios.
Jessica Koscielniak, the president of the WHNPA, wrote a letter to aides for Harris after they downgraded four independent news photographer seats to one on Air Force Two, reported Axios, which obtained a copy of the letter.
"The WHNPA strongly calls on the Harris campaign to reconsider the number of media seats allowed on Air Force 2," Koscielniak wrote.
The Harris campaign told the WHNPA the seats had to be reduced for security reasons. The WHNPA had proposed adding a chaser plane for additional media or having the White House Correspondents Association reorganize who gets a spot, Axios said.
Koscielniak said the Harris campaign did not initially respond to the letter.
"The situation has not improved," Koscielniak said.
After Axios reached out to the Harris' office for comment Wednesday, the Harris team responded, saying that added more seats to Air Force Two and a chase plane were "not viable given additional resources, including personnel and aircraft."
"It's very disappointing," Koscielniak said to Axios. "This is the smallest number of media to travel for a presidential race in my memory. When Vice President Harris became the presidential nominee, it should have been negotiated by the WHCA that the full 13-member travel pool be on her plane."
Doug Mills, a White House news photographer, told Axios that Harris' arrangement puts "still photographers at a distinct disadvantage on every trip."
"It's essential to us for people to understand the importance of having a full photographer pool," Mills said. "Every photographer sees each event differently."
Sam Barron ✉
Sam Barron has almost two decades of experience covering a wide range of topics including politics, crime and business.
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