Written by Eliza Dorton Edited by Akshar Patel and Annika Lilja
On February 14th, The White House banned the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One indefinitely following a dispute on the proper terminology of the newly-named Gulf of America. The Associated Press decided to continue using the gulf’s original name, the Gulf of Mexico, while also acknowledging the new name. According to the AP, they made this choice because “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,” and Trump’s order only applies within the United States.
The dispute then led to four days of turmoil regarding the AP’s access to covering the White House. In the following week, the Trump Administration blocked the news agency from press “pool” events, including a visit from the prime minister of India. The press “pool” covers the president at all times, including on Air Force One and in the Oval Office, and news sources are determined by the White House Correspondents Association.
According to NBC News, President Trump stated that he would “keep [the AP] out” until they use the name “Gulf of America.” The AP then responded by suing White House officials, claiming that the administration infringed upon its First Amendment right to freedom of speech, asking that a federal judge lift the ban.
In its lawsuit, the AP communicated that “the press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” referring to the choice of remaining with the name “Gulf of Mexico.”
US District Judge Trevor McFadden refused to lift the ban on the AP’s access to White House events immediately but stated that the law would not help the Administration in the case and advised the White House officials to rethink their policy.
In today’s political climate, the media often skews one way or another; it would be unsurprising for a far-left or right news establishment to have problems with any administration. However, as one of the largest news outlets in the world, the AP has long been a reliable, unbiased source of information.
For over a century, the precedent in the White House has been that the press is present to report on the president and hold him accountable by reporting on events in real time every day, and the administration is present to give updates on their plans and proceedings.
Following these recent events, the White House stated on February 25th that its officials will now decide which news outlets are a part of the press pool, citing a newer press pool and giving “power back to the American people” with a rotation of different news outlets, including ones that “have long been denied” access. It is unclear how the rest of both the lawsuit and the press rotation will unfold.
Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/trump-ap-news-ban-air-force-one b90b8b842d63aef9960ccffb4a657dc2