AP barred from White House pool over ‘Gulf of Mexico’ naming
A federal judge has ruled unconstitutional a Pentagon press policy that prompted a mass walkout by news organizations, one of several restrictions President Donald Trump has imposed on news media since returning to office for a second term.
The Pentagon policy was introduced to restrict the ability of journalists to gather and report on sensitive information. News organizations refused to sign the required pledge and walked out. A federal judge later ruled the policy unconstitutional.
The Associated Press was previously barred from press pool events in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. The exclusion followed the outlet’s continued use of “Gulf of Mexico” rather than “Gulf of America” in its coverage.
Separately, Trump has launched high-profile legal battles with major outlets including the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNN, ABC News and the BBC.
The pattern of restrictions continued Friday, when Trump announced on his Truth Social platform that he was banning CNN, MS Now and Politico from the White House over what he called “constant ‘reporting’ FAKE NEWS!” He wrote that “Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America” and added that “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”