TRUMP’S FAVE

Elon Musk’s X Gets VIP Seat at White House Press Briefing

The social media platform’s head of news snagged the coveted “new media seat” at Thursday’s press briefing.

The head of news at X, John Stoll, claimed the “new media seat” at the White House press briefing Thursday, much to the apparent delight of Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt who sung the platform’s praises. While introducing Stoll to the newsroom, Leavitt waxed lyrical on X’s successes as a home to a “large contingent of independent journalists and news organizations across geographies and political spectrums” and the “go-to platform for many legacy news outlets.” Stoll, a former editor and Detroit bureau chief at The Wall Street Journal, joined X as its news director in January. “Thank you Caroline for opening this seat up to new media,” Stoll said before sharing talking points with the assembled press corps. “It really is a testament to—not only to your open mindedness—but also to innovation that you’d actually think about folks that are not traditionally credentialed to be in this room.” Last month, Leavitt announced that a seat typically designated for White House press staff will now, instead, be reserved as a “new media seat” to welcome different voices, such as social media influencers and podcasters, into the press room.