The Associated Press is calling out the Trump administration after one of its reporters was denied access to the Oval Office over a dispute involving the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.
In a statement released Tuesday, AP Executive Editor Julie Pace said the White House had warned the global news organization that failing to adopt Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the ‘Gulf of America’ could result in access restrictions. Later that day, an AP reporter was barred from attending a White House event where the executive order was being signed.
The Associated Press, known for its factual and nonpartisan journalism, strongly condemned the administration’s actions, calling it an assault on press freedom.
“It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism,” Pace said. “Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP’s speech not only severely impedes the public’s access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment.”
The controversy stems from an executive order issued by Trump seeking to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
The White House has not issued an official response to the AP’s allegations, but press restrictions have been a recurring issue during the Trump presidency. This latest development raises new concerns about government interference in independent journalism and the freedom of the press.
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