It Was Administration's Idea to Not Name Source, Not Politico's

Politico violated journalistic standards by citing anonymous sources, the White House is arguing in defending its revocation of the outlet's press passes—though in one instance, it was done at the Trump administration's request. The accusation was leveled in a letter Tuesday to Politico that was included in a White House court filing over its decision to revoke its White House credentials, along with those of CNN and MS NOW. The administration accused the outlet of six violations, including a June 2026 story on efforts to end the war in Iran, the Washington Post reports. That article opened with a "senior administration official" estimating the chances of a preliminary deal at 80% to 85%.

But the quote came from a press call organized by the White House in which reporters were explicitly told to attribute remarks to an unnamed senior official. A recording reviewed by the Post captures a press aide twice stating those ground rules. Other outlets, including the AP, Bloomberg, and CNBC, used the same attribution of an unnamed official from that Iran call and have not been barred from the White House. Politico has until Friday evening to formally challenge the White House's claims.