The White House on Monday removed The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) from the press pool travelling with US President Donald Trump for an upcoming visit to Scotland, citing "fake and defamatory conduct."

This was in response to a report published in the newspaper which claimed Trump sent a racy birthday letter in 2003 to his former friend and alleged sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

"Thirteen diverse outlets will participate in the press pool to cover the President's trip to Scotland," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said. "Due to the Wall Street Journal's fake and defamatory conduct, they will not be one of the thirteen outlets on board."

On Friday, Trump sued the Wall Street Journal and its owners for $10 billion in damages for causing "overwhelming" financial and reputational harm. 

Censoring the press?

This is not the first time the Trump administration has barred a major news outlet from the press pool over reports the White House disagrees with.

Several Associated Press journalists have been excluded from key events since February when the White House took control of overseeing the press pool, stripping the White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) of the power.

"As the appeals court confirmed, The Wall Street Journal or any other news outlet are not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in his private workspaces," Leavitt said while announcing the exclusion.

WHCA President Weijia Jiang urged that the newspaper be restored to the press pool for the Scotland trip. "Government retaliation against news outlets based on the content of their reporting should concern all who value free speech and an independent media," she said in a statement.

What did the WSJ story say?

The Wall Street Journal reported having obtained a suggestive letter to Epstein for his 50th birthday in 2003, which carries Trump's signature.

The letter was typed within a hand-drawn outline of a naked woman and the text alluded to a shared secret.

Trump has denied the contents of the story, calling the article "false, malicious, defamatory" and the WSJ a "useless 'rag.'"

Meanwhile, WSJ owner Dow Jones said it will "vigorously defend" the lawsuit.