White House will not release visitor logs during Trump’s second term

The decision has been made by the White House not to release visitor logs during President Donald Trump’s second term, Fox News has confirmed. This policy mirrors the approach taken during his first administration, as stated by a White House official in a report by the Washington Examiner.

In April 2017, during Trump’s first administration, it was announced that White House visitor logs would not be made public, as reported by the Washington Post. White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers emphasized that this move is aimed at providing a new level of access and transparency to both the people and the press, following what was perceived as “empty promises, lies, and secrets” during the Biden administration.

The release of visitor logs is not mandatory as they are protected by the Presidential Records Act, which prevents their public disclosure until five years after a president leaves office. President Joe Biden, in contrast, consistently released visitor records at the beginning of each month throughout his term.

At the start of Biden’s presidency, media outlets praised the administration for resuming the practice of releasing visitor logs, which had been halted during Trump’s term. The New York Times lauded this move as part of an effort to restore transparency to government operations.

However, a review by Bloomberg of visitor logs from Biden’s first two years in office revealed gaps in disclosure. In November, the White House had still not released visitor logs for July, the month when Biden announced he would not seek re-election, raising questions about who had access to and was advising the president before this significant decision.

Former President Barack Obama was the first to voluntarily disclose visitor logs during his time in office, as noted by the Examiner. It is important to note that releasing visitor logs is not a legal requirement but rather a practice that each administration can choose to adopt.

In conclusion, the decision not to release visitor logs during President Trump’s second term continues a policy established during his first term. This move has implications for transparency and access to information about who has access to and interacts with the president. The debate over the release of visitor logs underscores the importance of accountability and openness in government operations.