FOR THE WEEK OF MAR. 10, 2025

White House media policy changes spark lawsuit by AP and concerns about presidential access

Donald Trump's current administration has openly shown contempt for many mainstream reporters, newspaper and networks, a distaste that also was clear during his first presidential term from 1997-2021. Still, ramped-up actions in recent weeks have shocked many news outlets. Trump first told his communications team to bar The Associated Press from the Oval Office, Air Force One and the media pool, a rotating group of 13 journalists who travels with the president. That was in retaliation for the global news service's continued use of "Gulf of Mexico" after Trump changed the preferred name to Gulf of America. Dozens of media outlets protested AP's exclusion and the 179-year-old company based in New York filed a legal challenge citing its constitutional guarantee of press freedom. AP staffers still can enter the presidential mansion, but its lawsuit says: "AP's press credentials now provide its journalists less access to the White House than the same press credentials provide to all members of the White House press corps."

Another change came in late February, when White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration decide which reporters could participate in the press pool, a role held for decades by the White House Correspondents' Association. That 800-member group's president, Eugene Daniels of MSNBC, says the move "tears at the independence of a free press." Two conservative outlets, Newsmax and Blaze Media, recently got spots usually reserved for Reuters and AP.

The tug of wills is about more than what the AP calls a body of water. "It's about hassling the press and showing who's boss," says Paul Farhi, a former Washington Post reporter who writes about media issues at Substack and elsewhere. "That's the Trump model. It's also the authoritarian model." The dispute is seen as part of a broader effort to discredit legacy media outlets and the public's trust in the press. These are among actions since January's inauguration:

• The Federal Communications Commission is investigating whether TV networks CBS and PBS are operating in the public interest.
• Pentagon office space used by NPR, NBC and the New York Times was reassigned to HuffPost and two pro-Trump outlets, Breitbart and One America News.
• Right-wing radio hosts Clay Travis and Buck Sexton were invited to broadcast from the White House.

"The news media is being pressured," writes The New York Times' chief White House correspondent, Peter Baker. He describes the press pool selection change as "a step in a direction that no modern American president of either party has ever taken. The White House said it was a privilege, not a right, to have such access, and that it wanted to open space for 'new media' outlets, including those that just so happen to support Trump."

Speaking for the president, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posts on social media: "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. While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One." AP, long considered the gold standard of neutrality, rejects the complaint. The service is "a global, fact-based, nonpartisan news organization with thousands of customers around the world who span the political spectrum," says spokeswoman Lauren Easton. "If AP journalism wasn't factual and nonpartisan, this wouldn't be the case."

AP says: "The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government." – Federal court filing

White House says: "It is the Gulf of America, and I'm not sure why news outlets don't want to call it that. If lies are being told in this [briefing] room, we are going to hold those lies accountable." -- Karoline Leavitt, presidential press secretary

Blogger says: "The White House and Cabinet have begun to sever communication with the public, warn media outlets against critical coverage and limit our access to the truth." – Julie Zebrak, Washington attorney and past federal prosecutor

Front Page Talking Points Archive

Common Core State Standard
SL.CCS.1/2/3/4 Grades 6-12: An essay of a current news event is provided for discussion to encourage participation, but also inspire the use of evidence to support logical claims using the main ideas of the article. Students must analyze background information provided about a current event within the news, draw out the main ideas and key details, and review different opinions on the issue. Then, students should present their own claims using facts and analysis for support.