Trump Revokes AP's Oval Office Access

Trump: There's the Door

The Associated Press (AP) has been indefinitely barred from the Oval Office after refusing to comply with President Donald Trump's directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."

White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich announced on X on Friday: "The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America. This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation." He emphasized that while the First Amendment protects their reporting, it does not guarantee access to restricted areas like the Oval Office and Air Force One.

Budowich added that the vacated space would be allocated to thousands of previously excluded reporters, though AP journalists and photographers will retain their White House complex credentials.

According to The Wrap, the AP was initially excluded from a Tuesday Oval Office press conference with Elon Musk and later from a Thursday meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, due to its insistence on using the internationally recognized name "Gulf of Mexico."

AP executive editor Julie Pace condemned the move as "a deeply troubling escalation of the administration’s continued efforts to punish the Associated Press for its editorial decisions," calling it a "plain violation of the First Amendment" and urging the Trump administration to reverse the decision.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the ban on Wednesday, stating, "Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions. That is an invitation that is given." She asserted that the body of water off Louisiana is officially the "Gulf of America" and questioned why news outlets resist the change.

Trump's second administration is also diversifying the White House Press Briefing Room by including "new media voices" while reducing the presence of some traditional legacy outlets.