White House upholds banishment of AP from Oval Office for not using 'Gulf of America' in reporting

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s decision to bar an Associated Press (AP) reporter from the Oval Office on Tuesday, stating that access is a “privilege” and not a right.

During a press briefing, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins pressed Leavitt on which White House official made the decision to bar the AP reporter. Leavitt responded by pointing out that, “nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions. That’s an invitation that is given.” She emphasized that, among the many outlets covering the White House, only a select few reporters are ultimately allowed into the Oval Office.

The AP reporter was prevented from attending President Donald Trump’s signing of an executive order on Tuesday afternoon. The decision was attributed to the fact that AP has refused to use the newly designated name “Gulf of America” in place of the former name for the body of water, the “Gulf of Mexico.” The AP, whose style guide is used by many newsrooms, has stated that it will continue using "Gulf of Mexico" due to historical precedent and because Mexico and international organizations have not recognized the Trump administration’s renaming.

Collins asked whether this action set a precedent for the White House to retaliate against reporters who do not use the White House’s preferred language, questioning if it contradicted the administration’s stated commitment to the First Amendment.

"I was very upfront in my briefing on Day 1 that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable,” Leavitt responded. She then addressed the specific issue, asserting that the Secretary of the Interior had officially designated the body of water as the "Gulf of America," making it an established fact.