White House Bars AP from Donald Trump’s Event Despite Court Order
The ongoing feud between the White House and The Associated Press (AP) has taken a new turn, with the latter being barred from an Oval Office conference with President Donald Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele on Monday. This comes despite a US federal judge ordering the White House to restore AP’s access to Trump’s events.
The dispute between the two parties began earlier this month when AP refused to follow Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. The order, which was announced on June 4, instructed federal agencies to use the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” in all official documents and communications. AP, along with other news organizations, refused to comply with the order, citing its independence and commitment to factual reporting.
In response to AP’s decision, the White House revoked the publication’s press credentials, effectively banning its reporters and photographers from covering Trump’s events. However, on June 17, a US federal judge intervened, issuing a temporary restraining order that ordered the White House to restore AP’s access to Trump’s events.
Despite this court order, the White House refused to allow AP to attend Monday’s Oval Office conference with Trump and Bukele. The event, which was closed to other news organizations as well, was reportedly focused on discussing trade and immigration issues between the US and El Salvador.
AP’s exclusion from the event has sparked widespread criticism, with many arguing that the White House’s actions are an attempt to silence the press and undermine the First Amendment’s protections of freedom of the press. “This is a clear attempt by the White House to retaliate against AP for exercising its First Amendment rights,” said a spokesperson for the publication.
The White House, however, has maintained that its actions are justified, citing AP’s refusal to follow Trump’s executive order as a reason for its decision. “The White House will continue to take all necessary steps to ensure that only reputable and truthful news organizations are allowed to cover the President’s events,” said a White House spokesperson.
This is not the first time that the White House has clashed with AP over its reporting. In 2017, the White House banned several news organizations, including AP, from attending a press briefing after they refused to follow Trump’s instructions on how to ask questions. The move was widely condemned by the media and the public, and it sparked a heated debate about the role of the press in a free society.
The current dispute between the White House and AP has sparked similar concerns, with many arguing that the White House’s actions are an attempt to stifle the press and undermine the public’s right to know. “The White House’s decision to exclude AP from the Oval Office conference is a clear attempt to silence the press and undermine the public’s right to know what is happening in government,” said a spokesperson for the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.
In a statement, AP said that it would continue to fight for its right to report on the President’s activities, regardless of the White House’s attempts to silence it. “AP will continue to cover the President’s activities and hold him accountable for his actions, even if it means being excluded from certain events,” said the publication’s spokesperson.
The dispute between the White House and AP is likely to continue in the coming days, with both sides dug in and refusing to back down. However, as the debate rages on, it is clear that the public’s right to know what is happening in government is at stake, and that the press must continue to fight for its independence and freedom to report the news.
