Second-Term Press Attacks: AP Banned, Journalists Arrested, Press Pool Restricted
The AP's exclusion from the White House briefing room — a credentialed, nonpartisan wire service that had covered every presidency since 1865 — was triggered by the AP's editorial decision to continue using 'Gulf of Mexico' rather than 'Gulf of America,' the name Trump had issued an executive order to adopt. AP's position was that it followed geographic naming standards and could not adopt a contested renaming while it was politically motivated. The exclusion was condemned by press freedom organizations as the most direct government intervention in editorial content by excluding a news organization from access on the basis of its editorial decisions.
Record summary
Grade
Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern
Systematic actions that undermine fundamental constitutional or international legal protections at the structural level. Scale and definitions
- Status
- Ongoing
- Incident date
- Record updated
- Location
- Washington, D.C.
- Category
- Press Freedom
- Legal posture
- Active litigation
- War-crime classification
- Enabling conduct
- Verification
- Cross-referenced
- ICC relevance
- No
- Sources
- 4 cited
- Stable ID
trump-second-term-press-freedom-attacks-ap-ban- Victims
- The Associated Press and its journalists denied access to the president and White House events; the American public denied information gathered through press pool access; press freedom as a democratic institution; journalists arrested for covering protests
- Alleged responsible parties
- Donald Trump, President; directed or approved exclusion of the Associated Press from White House access; endorsed broader press restrictions; publicly attacked journalists and media organizations— White House
- Karoline Leavitt, White House Press Secretary; enforced the AP exclusion; controlled press briefing room access; implemented selective credentialing policies— White House
Key points
- The Associated Press was excluded from the White House briefing room and press pool in February 2025 after refusing to adopt 'Gulf of America' in its reporting; AP's policy is to follow established geographic naming conventions and international standards; the exclusion marked the first time in the modern press pool era that a wire service was denied access on the basis of its editorial content
- AP filed suit against the White House, arguing the exclusion violated the First Amendment by conditioning government access on editorial compliance; legal experts noted this was among the most direct cases of the government conditioning press access on content in recent American history; a federal court issued a preliminary injunction ordering AP's access restored pending litigation
- The White House under Trump's second term shifted press pool composition to include more partisan outlets while restricting traditional press organizations; pro-Trump media figures were granted access and given favorable treatment at briefings while reporters from outlets deemed adversarial faced restrictions, skeptical calling patterns at briefings, and in some cases exclusion
- The administration pursued legal and regulatory pressure against media organizations: investigations of news organizations were pursued through DOJ and FCC; the FCC under Trump-appointed chairman initiated proceedings against major broadcast networks; the administration's posture toward press organizations was described by First Amendment attorneys as the most aggressive toward press freedom in modern American history
- Journalists covering protests and public events were arrested and detained in multiple incidents in the early months of the second term; press freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists documented an increase in journalist arrests, credential denials, and physical obstruction during the first months of the second term
- Trump continued using the term 'enemy of the people' to describe media organizations throughout his second term; the phrase, historically associated with authoritarian governments targeting press freedom, had been used by Trump more than 70 times by early 2025; press freedom rankings of the United States, which had declined during Trump's first term, fell further in second-term assessments
Overview
The Associated Press has covered every presidency since 1865. It was excluded from the White House briefing room and press pool because it refused to change the words it uses for a body of water.
The administration's position was that its editorial preferences were a condition of access. The AP's position was that conditions of access cannot determine editorial content.
A federal court agreed with the AP.
The Gulf of Mexico
Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." The order applied to federal agencies and federal documents. It did not and could not govern what news organizations called things.
The Associated Press follows the United States Board on Geographic Names, international conventions, and established usage. It continued using "Gulf of Mexico." The White House excluded it from the briefing room.
The exclusion was not about security. It was not about credentials. It was about which words the AP chose to use in its reporting — a question the government has never before successfully claimed authority over.
What Exclusion Means
The press pool is the mechanism through which journalists accompany the president, attend briefings, and gather information that is distributed to news organizations around the world. Exclusion from the pool doesn't just mean AP reporters can't attend events. It means the information gathered by pool reporters — the transcript of what the president said, the photographs, the video — reaches the public through organizations whose access was conditioned on their content.
A government that can condition access on editorial compliance can effectively control what information reaches the public about its own conduct.
The First Amendment Case
The AP's lawsuit argued what constitutional law has long established: government cannot condition access to public forums or government officials on the content of speech. The First Amendment's protection of editorial freedom extends to news organizations' decisions about terminology.
A federal court issued a preliminary injunction ordering AP's access restored. The litigation continued.
Meanwhile, the White House briefing room saw an influx of media organizations more sympathetic to the administration's preferred narratives, and reporters from traditionally credentialed outlets reported patterns of differential treatment in questions, access, and responsiveness.
International law engaged
| Instrument | Provision | What it protects or prohibits |
|---|---|---|
| International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights | Article 19 | Freedom of expression including freedom to seek, receive and impart information; government exclusion of news organizations from access on the basis of their editorial content directly violates this right |
Update log
-
Updated with ongoing litigation and documented pattern of press restrictions.
Sequence of events
-
Executive order renames Gulf of Mexico — Gulf of America
Trump signs an executive order directing federal agencies to use 'Gulf of America' rather than 'Gulf of Mexico' in official contexts. The Associated Press and other news organizations announce they will continue following established geographic naming conventions.
-
AP excluded from White House briefing room and pool access
The White House bans the Associated Press from the briefing room and press pool access, citing its refusal to adopt 'Gulf of America.' The AP has been a credentialed White House news organization since 1865. Press freedom organizations condemn the action as content-based discrimination.
-
AP files First Amendment lawsuit
The AP files suit against the White House, arguing the exclusion violates the First Amendment by conditioning government access on editorial content compliance. A federal court issues a preliminary injunction ordering AP's access restored pending litigation.
-
Press pool composition shifts to partisan outlets
The White House press pool is reorganized to include more partisan pro-Trump media outlets while traditional credentialed organizations face access restrictions. Reporters from adversarial outlets report difficulty obtaining briefing questions and access.
-
Journalist arrests documented during protests
Multiple journalists covering protests and public demonstrations are arrested or detained by law enforcement. Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders document an increased pattern of journalist interference during early second term.
Sources
- White House Bars A.P. from Events Over 'Gulf of America' Dispute — The New York Times
- AP sues White House over briefing room exclusion — The Washington Post
- AP files suit over White House exclusion — The Associated Press
- Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index — Reporters Without Borders archived ✓