Jon Karl asked X’s AI bot Grok to fact-check Steve Scalise’s claim that the Biden White House ‘confiscated’ about 400 press credentials. Grok said hard passes fell from 1,417 to 975 in 2023 — roughly 442 fewer — largely because many holders did not reapply under tightened rules; only one application was denied. Grok also noted day passes remained available and that reporters were not banned from White House access. Scalise has not publicly replied to Karl’s follow-up on X.
Jon Karl Turns to X’s Grok to Fact-Check Steve Scalise’s Claim About 400 Lost White House Press Passes
AP Photo/Julio Cortez, Associated Press
ABC News correspondent Jon Karl asked X’s AI chatbot Grok to fact-check a tense exchange with House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R‑LA) after Scalise said the Biden White House had “confiscated” about 400 press credentials — a claim Karl disputed on air.
On Air Confrontation
During Sunday’s This Week, Scalise compared President Joe Biden’s handling of White House press credentials to President Donald Trump’s decision to bar certain outlets. Scalise said roughly 400 reporters lost access under the Biden administration. Karl pushed back immediately.
“That's actually not true about Biden,” Karl told Scalise. “The 400 individual reporters who had credentials did not reapply. There was only one that was actually denied a credential. And all of those who didn't reapply were allowed to come in. They were not banned from the White House. That did not happen!”
Fact-Check With Grok
After the broadcast, Scalise posted on X (formerly Twitter), sharing a Fox News graphic that read, “More than 440 reporter lose press passes after White House changes requirements,” and wrote: “This morning, ABC tried to claim the Biden White House didn't cut off press access for over 400 journalists. The facts say otherwise…”
Karl replied to Scalise’s post and asked Grok for a factual check: “Hey @grok – is it accurate to say 'Joe Biden removed the press credentials from over 400 different agencies' as @SteveScalise said this morning on This Week?”
Grok replied with a concise breakdown of the 2023 policy changes: hard-pass rules were tightened to require annual renewal, proof of full-time news employment, a DC address and recent campus access. As a result, hard passes fell from 1,417 to 975 — roughly 442 fewer — but Grok noted that most holders simply did not reapply under the new rules and that only one application was formally denied. Day passes continued to be available.
Grok: “No. In 2023 the Biden White House tightened hard-pass rules requiring annual renewal, full-time news employment, a DC address, and recent campus access. Hard passes fell from 1,417 to 975 (about 442 fewer). Most holders simply did not reapply; only one application was denied. Day passes stayed available, so access was not barred. It affected individual reporters, not 'agencies.'”
Karl followed up asking if only one denial occurred and whether day passes remained available; Grok reiterated both points and said no one was outright banned from White House access.
Aftermath
As of publication, Scalise had not replied to Karl’s follow-up or to Grok’s responses on X. The exchange underscores how digital platforms and AI tools are increasingly being used in real time to verify political claims — and how disagreements over phrasing (for example, "reporters" vs. "agencies") can shape public perception.
Note: This article summarizes the on‑air exchange and Grok’s public responses. The original story first appeared on Mediaite.
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