There is no law that guarantees press access to the White House. Communication was lessening during the Obama years. There was every reason to suspect that Trump was going to create an adversarial relationship and that people were going to be faced with the impossible dilemma between sort-of-complicity and access.

In this quote, Masha Gessen discusses the evolving nature of press access to the White House, particularly during the Obama and Trump administrations. She points out that there is no law that guarantees the media access to the White House, highlighting the fragile nature of this access and how it can change with different administrations. Gessen emphasizes that during the Obama years, the level of communication between the press and the government was diminishing, suggesting a shift toward less transparency and openness.

Gessen’s mention of Trump focuses on the expectation that his administration would create an adversarial relationship with the press. Given Trump’s public disdain for certain media outlets and his frequent attacks on journalists, Gessen anticipated a more combative stance toward the press. This adversarial dynamic, she suggests, would place journalists in a difficult position, forcing them to choose between complicity and maintaining access to critical information.

The reference to the "impossible dilemma" captures the ethical challenge faced by journalists who may feel torn between the desire for access to powerful figures and the need to report the truth without becoming compromised. The concern is that close relationships with political figures could lead to a loss of objectivity or integrity in reporting, especially when faced with increasing pressure from those in power.

Ultimately, Gessen’s quote reflects the tensions between freedom of the press and the shifting dynamics of government-media relations. She critiques the growing challenges journalists face in holding those in power accountable while also maintaining necessary access, illustrating how political environments can shape the relationship between the press and the government.