Trump administration BANS Associated Press reporters from Oval Office, defying court order
By ramontomeydw // 2025-04-18
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  • The Trump administration barred Associated Press reporters from covering a press conference with President Donald Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, defying a federal court injunction ordering the White House to restore AP's access.
  • A Trump-appointed judge ruled on April 8 that excluding AP from briefings violated the First Amendment, as the government cannot discriminate against journalists based on viewpoint. The White House is appealing the decision.
  • The conflict stems from AP's refusal to adopt Trump's executive order renaming the "Gulf of Mexico" as the "Gulf of America," citing global clarity in reporting. The White House retaliated by revoking AP's access to key events.
  • The ban reflects Trump's stance toward mainstream media biased against him, including past attacks on outlets like CNN and CBS.
  • Trump himself wasn't the only one who spoke out against the AP. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has also criticized a reporter from an outlet over an "insulting" question about Trump's tariffs.
The Trump administration has prohibited Associated Press (AP) reporters from the Oval Office, defying an injunction ordering that they be granted access. A spokesperson for the news organization confirmed that its reporters were indeed banned during a press conference featuring U.S. President Trump and Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on Monday, April 15. The briefing was convened following the arrival of El Salvador's chief executive, who Trump invited. "Our journalists were blocked from the Oval Office today," the spokesperson told Jeremy Barr of the Washington Post, who reported on the development via social media. The AP spokesperson continued: "We expect the White House to restore AP's participation in the pool as of today, as provided in the injunction order." On April 8, U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden of the District Court for the District of Columbia issued an injunction ordering that the AP's access to the Oval Office be restored. McFadden, a Trump appointee, ruled that the administration violated the First Amendment by excluding the outlet from press briefings. "Under the First Amendment, if the government opens its doors to some journalists – be it to the Oval Office, the East Room or elsewhere – it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints," the magistrate wrote. The White House said it is appealing the injunction.

Trump vs. AP: The battle over renaming the Gulf of Mexico

The spat between the Trump administration and the AP follows the news organization's refusal to adopt the president's directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America." In January, Trump issued an executive order changing the body of water's name, which has been historically recognized by the former name, for more than four centuries. The AP, citing its responsibility as a global news agency, declined to adopt the new term. "As a global news agency that disseminates information worldwide, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences," the organization stated in February. In response, the White House revoked the AP's access to most presidential events, including briefings and travel on Air Force One. The news organization retains sporadic access to some White House events, however. Monday's exclusion marks the latest escalation in Trump's long-running adversarial relationship with the mainstream media (MSM). Even White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has expressed disdain toward the AP, recently criticizing a reporter from the outlet. The journalist reportedly asked an "insulting" question about Trump's tariff policy, drawing Leavitt's ire. Trump has frequently denounced several MSM outlets like CNN as peddlers of fake news and labeled journalists as "the enemy of the people." But aside from the AP, CBS has recently also been in the Trump's crosshairs for its biased reporting about the 47th president. (Related: Associated Press, NPR are serial liars when it comes to reporting anything about Donald Trump.) The clash between the White House and the AP reflects broader tensions over press independence and government overreach. The outcome of this dispute will shape not only the AP's access but also the broader relationship between future administrations and the journalists who hold them accountable. Journalism.news has more similar stories. Watch this video revealing that the AP writes the news stories used by other outlets. This video is from the HaloRock™ channel on Brighteon.com.

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