JUST IN: White House Bans The AP From Oval Office, Air Force One Briefings

The Trump White House has officially revoked The Associated Press’ access to the Oval Office and Air Force One briefings, citing the outlet’s refusal to acknowledge a recent policy change regarding the naming of the Gulf of America.

White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich announced the move Friday morning, stating that while AP journalists will retain general White House credentials, they will no longer be given access to exclusive presidential settings.

“The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America,” Budowich wrote in a post on X. “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.” Budowich added that the administration would now prioritize press access for reporters who have previously been “barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration.”

Despite the restriction, AP reporters will still be allowed to attend general press briefings and events on White House grounds. However, the loss of access to Air Force One and the Oval Office signals a deeper divide between the administration and the press corps.

The decision is one of the most aggressive media restrictions imposed by President Trump’s administration in his second term. Trump has long been critical of mainstream media outlets, frequently accusing them of bias and dishonesty.

Earlier in the week, the White House denied access to an Associated Press reporter for an Oval Office event Tuesday, following a demand from the administration that the news agency change its terminology for the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” as per President Donald Trump’s directive.

A second AP reporter was also barred from attending a later event in the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. The exclusion came after Trump administration officials had earlier threatened such action unless the AP altered its terminology regarding the Gulf.

Associated Press Executive Editor Julie Pace issued a statement on Tuesday saying, “As a global news organization, The Associated Press informs billions of people around the world every day with factual, nonpartisan journalism. Today we were informed by the White House that if AP did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, AP would be barred from accessing an event in the Oval Office.”

“This afternoon AP’s reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing. It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. 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,” Pace finished.

“Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions,” White House Press Secretary Leavitt said Tuesday afternoon. “We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.”