The White House has officially banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, citing “irresponsible and dishonest reporting” over the ridiculous renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.
The news organization refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America” in its reporting, even though other countries also don’t recognize the name change.
“The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich wrote on X.
“This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press' commitment to misinformation. While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One. Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration,” he added.
Budowich said that AP journalists and photographers would retain their credentials on White House grounds.
This comes as the AP was twice banned from press events, including an executive order event in the Oval Office and another in the East Room for Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Today we were informed by the White House that if AP did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, AP would be barred from accessing an event in the Oval Office,” AP said in a statement Wednesday.
It is an apparent infringement on the First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."
The First Amendment protects free speech in public spaces or “forums.” Private entities have the right to enact policy as they see fit—a public sidewalk is fair game to dissent, but the lobby of a private business is not, unless its policy allows for it.
This is why the idea that social media is a “public square” and not a private entity has been taken all the way up to the Supreme Court.
The White House—and any part of government grounds—could be a public forum that allows for unabridged freedom of speech, expression, and, of course, the press. It’s unclear if the courts would interpret the White House as a public space and, therefore, a space where First Amendment rights must be granted.
AP is the largest and arguably most consequential news wire service in the world. The publication has a storied history, with reporting from the White House dating back to 1881. Its style guide is the standard for all journalistic writing and is adhered to by newsrooms worldwide.
Sadly, this kind of animosity toward journalists, which is common in authoritarian nations, is nothing new for Trump and his cronies.
Trump has long attacked the press. He has threatened to jail journalists who don’t produce glowing coverage of Dear Leader, said he wouldn’t mind if journalists at his rallies were shot, gone after specific reporters by name on social media, and propped up far-right “new media” organizations like One America News and Breitbart in place of reputable publications.
Last week, Republicans joined in on the fun when they started losing their minds over POLITICO subscriptions when Elon Musk’s reply guys—including Trump himself—hawked false claims that the U.S. Agency for International Development gave millions to the news organization.
On Thursday, Trump and Musk attacked Reuters over an alleged $9 million that the “radical left” publication was given as part of a defense contract in 2018. Reuters responded, stating that the contract was “inaccurately represented.”
The attack on Reuters—and now AP—is part of a disturbing pattern to silence voices of dissent or questions of accountability. People around the world rely on their reporting, and Trump’s recent retaliation threatens how the White House is covered and what information the public receives.
Unless the White House recoils and gives AP back its access, the ban is likely to be challenged in court.
Campaign Action Morgan Stephens February 15, 2025 at 12:30AM From Daily Kos
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