Trump to keep list of White House visitors secret

President Donald Trump's administration announced that it will not follow predecessor Barack Obama's policy of voluntarily disclosing the names of visitors to the White House complex, citing "grave national security risks and privacy concerns". Friday's announcement marks a significant shift from the Obama administration, which released the names of nearly 6 million visitors since 2009, including scores of lobbyists, The Washington Post reported. Instead, the Trump administration said it would release information under far more limited circumstances: when Freedom of Information Act requests are filed for those visiting offices of the White House characterised under the law as separate agencies, such as the Office of Management and Budget.

Under the new policy, it will be up to the White House to decide whether to release the names of visitors coming to meet with the President, Vice President and their senior staff. However, the announcement was harshly criticised by government watchdog groups. "The only excuse for this policy is that the Trump administration has something to hide," said David Donnelly, president and chief executive of advocacy group, Every Voice. "This kind of secrecy will allow big donors, lobbyists and special interests to have unknown levels of influence in the White House," he added.