The Associated Press has sued the Trump administration for barring it from major presidential events over its refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office renaming the Gulf
which directly affects usage by the federal government but holds no force outside the U.S.
The AP serves audiences and news organizations across the globe. The news agency says its guidance recommends that its journalists and the news organizations that rely on it reflect the Gulf’s historic name, but acknowledge Trump’s desired shift in language. In its lawsuit, the AP said that the White House’s retaliation was a threat to freedom.
After it was barred, there had been a flurry of appeals and private protests by several media outlets and diplomatic overtures to resolve the matter, even as both sides indicated they would not budge.
The AP says its journalists remained blocked from major events at the Oval Office, Air Force One, Trump’s private estate in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, and other spots where journalists with White House press credentials are routinely welcomed. Such events as Trump’s press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was off limits to AP reporters, as was Trump’s press conference at which he explained he would keep the ban on AP reporters to key events in place.
On Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”
The next day, AP Executive Editor Julie Pace met with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in Florida. While neither side commented about the meeting, the AP reiterated its intend to maintain its independent editorial process.
The AP has participated in the White House press pool since its creation over a century ago. That has made it possible for the AP to deliver to the public timely and thorough reporting on the President almost everywhere he goes, which is information critical to the public.
The White House Correspondents Association weighed in this week to urge that Trump and his aides reconsider.
But the president’s action is consistent with other measures taken by the new administration. Various government departments and agencies have taken steps to identify and cancel subscriptions to news organizations. Under Defense Secretary and former Fox star Pete Hegseth, the Department of Defense dislodged eight news organizations, including NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and NBC, from long-held work stations at the Pentagon.
But the action has been consistent with other measures taken across the new administration, where several agencies have taken steps to identify and cancel subscriptions to news organizations.
Under Defense Secretary and former Fox star Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon dislodged eight news organizations, including NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and NBC, from long-held work stations at the Pentagon.
As of publication of this article, the White House had not responded to requests for comment about the AP’s lawsuit.
Source: www.npr.org