Trump shares ‘double standard’ claim over journalists’ communications

Donald Trump has amplified a media ‘double standard’ claim involving journalists’ communications that Just the News says came from White House records. Whether investigators deliberately selected reporters’ source contacts remains unresolved. [1] [4]

His Truth Social post at 11.29pm EDT on 30 September 2026 reproduced the headline and link to Amanda Head’s Just the News article, published that day. The headline described former special counsel Jack Smith as ‘spying on news outlets’ and compared coverage of that allegation with reporting on White House press restrictions. Trump added no separate argument. [1] [4]

The allegation followed a 29 September announcement by Senate Judiciary Committee Republicans. Citing whistleblower disclosures to chairman Chuck Grassley, they said Smith had collected communications involving nearly 50 journalists from more than a dozen national media outlets, including exchanges with government sources, during the Arctic Frost election investigation into Trump. [2]

Just the News says the records came from National Archives productions tied to 87 White House phones. That figure counts White House phones, not journalists’ devices. [4]

In written answers following the 22 January 2026 House Judiciary Committee hearing, Smith said his office had subpoenaed non-content telephone records it considered relevant and had followed Justice Department policy. He also said Arctic Frost began before his office was created in November 2022. Those answers concerned call records, rather than the message content described in the September announcement. [3] [2]