The Trump administration barred an Associated Press (AP) reporter from attending an event inside the Oval Office after the news organization refused to adopt the president's newly declared name for the Gulf of Mexico, according to a statement from AP Executive Editor Julie Pace on Tuesday.
The White House reportedly informed AP that unless the outlet aligned its editorial standards with President Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America," its reporter would not be granted access. When AP maintained its position—that as a global news agency it would continue to use the name recognized by the rest of the world—the reporter was blocked from an executive order signing later that afternoon.
"It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism," Pace said, calling the decision a "plain violation" of the First Amendment.
AP reaffirmed its commitment to factual, nonpartisan journalism and shared its editorial guidance on covering Trump's executive order. The White House has yet to comment on the exclusion.
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