Trump White House policy to ignore reporters using pronouns in emails brings praise and harsh criticism

Even email signatures are getting caught up in the culture wars.

The Trump White House habit of dismissing reporters who use pronouns in their email signatures has stirred both support and criticism from journalists and observers.

The New York Times put a spotlight last week on the White House press office refusing to respond to emailed questions from reporters who display their pronouns, saying they deny "biological reality" and can't be trusted to report with integrity. Other media relations figures at other government agencies gave similar responses to those who display their pronouns.

The decision for individuals to list them – for example, He/Him for a man or They/Them for someone who is transgender or doesn't identify as male or female – is often criticized as unnecessary virtue-signaling to promote the false notion of multiple genders beyond the male-female binary, while proponents say it's respectful to people of all identities.

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The White House has the policy in place because "any reporter who chooses to put their preferred pronouns in their bio clearly does not care about biological reality or truth and therefore cannot be trusted to write an honest story," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Digital.

The Daily Wire's White House correspondent Mary Margaret Olahan said she supported the administration's stance.

"Pronouns in your bio is an overtly political statement, and about sexual preference too! Wildly inappropriate for anyone in a professional context," Olahan told Fox News Digital.

"Also, they can answer whoever they want," Olahan continued, adding she was often ignored or simply got a "catty" response from the Biden White House when asking for comment.

John Ashbrook, a co-host of the Ruthless Podcast who sat in the "new media" seat for a recent press briefing, didn't seem bothered.

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"No White House has ever been more transparent out of the gate," Ashbrook told Fox News Digital.

Another White House correspondent said the situation was "amusing" and wasn't sure how hard and fast it was as a policy, noting most reporters who cover the White House can simply approach Leavitt or other members of the press office and get an answer in person.

They also noted reporters are more likely to use text messages or Signal than email anyway. Another White House correspondent shrugged they had "no clue" what to make of the press team's stance on pronouns.

The New York Times disparaged the policy in a statement to Fox News Digital, saying it was an excuse for evasion.

"Evading tough questions certainly runs counter to transparent engagement with free and independent press reporting," a spokesperson said. "But refusing to answer a straightforward request to explain the administration's policies because of the formatting of an email signature is both a concerning and baffling choice, especially from the highest press office in the U.S. government."

Andrew Bates, who served as President Joe Biden's deputy White House press secretary, said the Trump team was trying to divert attention from economic difficulties.

"That's the Trump White House admitting how weak he is after shattering his top economic promises with the biggest middle-class tax hike in modern history," he told Fox News Digital. "The subtext is, ‘So I know my tariffs are raising the everyday prices I ran on lowering and hollowing out you 401(k)s – but will you shut up and be happy if I randomly push a few reporters around?’"

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Fox News contributor Leslie Marshall believes the White House would be smart to worry about more important things, as pronouns are "not a kitchen table issue" in American homes.

"For the White House to single people out on that, I just think it’s a bad look," Marshall said last week on "Outnumbered."

At least one Washington Post reporter recently received replies from White House officials despite listing their pronouns in their signature, the Post reported last week.

The Trump administration has focused on gender identity issues throughout his second term, signing executive orders banning transgenders from being in the U.S. military, barring trans women from competing in women’s sports and removing gender identity language throughout the federal government. 

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Fox News Digital’s Gabriel Hays and Joseph A. Wulfsohn contributed to this report.