‘We make the facts’: White House denies media access to an AP reporter over ‘Gulf of America’ spat
The Gulf of Mexico’s name change wasn’t just a gimmicky gambit from the White House. Apparently, the Trump administration is desperate to enforce it. Reporters can even get barred from press conferences for rejecting its use.
At a press conference on Wednesday, reporter Kaitlan Collins from CNN grilled White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on the issue. She asked, “Which White House official made the decision to bar the AP reporter from the Oval Office and the Diplomatic Reception Room last night?”
“Well, first of all, let me set the record straight. It is a privilege to cover this White House. It’s a privilege to be the White House press secretary. And nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask a president of the United States questions.” Evasive at best, Collins followed up on her question. “Is this setting a precedent that this White House will retaliate against reporters who don’t use the language that you guys believe that reporters should use? And how does that align with the First Amendment commitment that you were just talking about?”
Leavitt responded, “If we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, then we are going to hold those lies accountable. And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the ‘Gulf of America.'” She further claimed that Google, Apple, and several maps recognize the body of water as such. Google, on its part, only places “Gulf of America” in parentheses. The international community, on the other hand, sticks with the Gulf of Mexico. Contrary to Leavitt’s beliefs, the AP isn’t pushing false information for refusing to use the Trump administration’s terminology. Rather, they’re adhering to the international community’s terminology.
Social media users were frustrated by this microaggression against the press. One X user observed, “You say what we want or we punish you. We make the facts. It sure sounds a lot like that.” Another X user claimed that they lived a mile away from the Gulf of Mexico. They added, “If you called it the Gulf of America, everyone would think you’re nuts.” After all, the United States doesn’t have the sole authority to rename international geographical locations.
Leavitt didn’t confirm who made the decision to block the AP reporter. Regardless, the news outlet’s speculation has been all but confirmed. The White House blocked the reporter because AP, as a news outlet, declared that it would keep using the term “Gulf of Mexico” as per their style guide. Because of this, the AP believes that the White House barred an AP reporter from two White House events.
Vendetta aside, it would only be a privilege to cover the White House if the United States were an authoritarian state. The decision to withhold information from the AP correspondent breaches the First Amendment, which covers the freedom of the press. By no means should the press be forced to submit to the current administration’s wiles in exchange for information.
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
