White House Bans AP Reporter From Air Force One in Ongoing Spat Over ‘Gulf of America’

AP Photo/Ben Curtis.

The Associated Press is sticking to its style guidance regarding the name of the body of water between Mexico and the United States — and the Trump administration is continuing to ban AP reporters from their traditional place in the White House Press Corps as a result.

Among President Donald Trump’s first-day flurry of executive orders was one that purported to rename the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America and to change the name of North America’s highest peak from Denali back to Mount McKinley, but the AP is only on board for the latter, citing the scope of U.S. presidential authority and its status as an international news organization as the rationale behind how it would identify both places.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has publicly scolded the AP over the kerfuffle, accusing their reporters of pushing “lies” and banning them from the briefing room and other official events for several days.

White House Correspondents Association President Eugene Davis condemned the exclusion of AP reporters, calling it an “outrageous and a deeply disappointing escalation of an already unacceptable situation” and “a textbook violation of not only the First Amendment, but the president’s own executive order on freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.”

This standoff continued Friday, as White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich tweeted the following statement:

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. Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration. Associate Press journalists and photographers will retain their credentials to the White House complex.

Friday afternoon, White House AP reporter Darlene Superville was informed she would not be traveling with Trump “at the White House’s direction,” according to Andrew Feinberg, the White House correspondent for the Independent.

Spectrum News national political reporter Taylor Popielarz shared the transcript from the press po0l report of how Superville was barred from the plane:

“AP reporter attempted to join the pool.”

“’No, sorry,’ said WH official.”

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