Who did Karoline Leavitt give her first question to at her debut press briefing?

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Leavitt broke decades of tradition by giving her first question to Mike Allen of Axios instead of the Associated Press, followed by Matthew Boyle of Breitbart—both conservative-friendly outlets. This deliberate snub of the AP, which has held the first-question privilege since the 1930s under an informal norm enforced by the White House Correspondents Association, signals Trump's preference for sympathetic coverage over professional journalism's institutional power. The press secretary controls who gets called on during briefings, which outlets receive credentials, and even where reporters sit—gatekeeping powers that date to Stephen Early under FDR, who established that the press secretary would have "unfettered access to the president" and "discretion to offer factual information to the press as it became available." By prioritizing Axios (a digital outlet founded by former Politico staff) and Breitbart (a right-wing site), Leavitt demonstrated how the executive branch can use media access as reward and punishment, favoring outlets that amplify rather than scrutinize presidential messaging.

Who did Karoline Leavitt give her first question to at her debut press briefing?

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