The White House counsel's office warned Politico in a Monday letter that it had 48 hours to retract or correct recent stories about alleged staff drama, or it would suffer unspecified consequences.

That deadline expires Thursday.

Why it matters: The White House demand threatens to escalate already tense relations with Politico specifically and, more generally, the press corps that covers President Trump in Washington.

Politico, CNN, and MS NOW are already banned from covering Trump in the Oval Office and on Air Force One because the president does not like their coverage.

Trump blocked all three outlets from the White House grounds as well, but a judge on Oct.…