White House justifies blocking AP reporters over ‘Gulf of America’ gripe as holding ‘lies accountable’

‘Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask a president of the United States questions,’ the White House press secretary fumed. When asked if the White House’s actions were “retaliatory in nature” and how they aligned with a commitment to freedom of the press, Leavitt insisted that the administration was merely holding “lies accountable” by blocking access to the AP. “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,” Pace wrote. “This afternoon AP’s reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing.”.

She added: “It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”. “Barring a journalist from an official event because their newsroom refuses to conform to government-imposed language is more than an attack on one reporter or outlet — it is an assault on the First Amendment and the public’s right to know,” National Press Club president Mike Balsamo said, adding that the administration’s decision was “a direct attack on press freedom.”.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Leavitt was asked by CNN anchor Kaitlan Collins what was behind the decision to bar the two AP reporters from the White House events on Tuesday. “It is a privilege to cover this White House. It is a privilege to be the White House press secretary. And nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask a president of the United States questions – that is an invitation that is given,” the press secretary responded.

“And there are hundreds of outlets on this campus, many of you in this room, who don’t have the privilege of being part of that pool every single day and getting to ask the president questions. We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office, and you all have credentials to be here – including the Associated Press, who is in this briefing room today.”. “So the question here is – is this setting a precedent that this White House will retaliate against reporters who don’t use the language that you guys believe reporters should use, and how does that align with the First Amendment commitment you were just talking about?” Collins pressed the White House spokesperson.

"I was very upfront in my briefing on day one that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable,” Leavitt responded. “And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I am not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that, but that is what it is.”. Noting that the secretary of the interior has made “Gulf of America” the official designation, she added that both Apple and Google have recognized that, along with “pretty much every outlet in this room,” before taking a final swipe at the AP.

“And it is very important to this administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home but also for the rest of the world.",” she concluded. “The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years,” the outlet added. “The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen. As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.”.