The White House has barred all Associated Press journalists from accessing restricted areas, including the Oval Office and Air Force One. The move follows AP’s refusal to use the Trump administration’s name change from the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich accused AP of spreading misinformation and announced that its press pool spot would be reassigned. The global news agency defended its decision based on international naming standards. The White House Correspondents’ Association and AP executives condemned the ban as a violation of press freedoms and the First Amendment.
