AP Reporter Barred From Oval Office — Here’s the Hilarious Reason Why

The Associated Press claimed that their White House reporter was barred from entering the Oval Office during today’s press conference.

The reason why?

AP is refusing to call the newly-renamed Gulf of America by its new name, still referring to it as the “Gulf of Mexico” in their style guidelines.

Here’s Associated Press Executive Editor Julie Pace‘s full statement on the matter:

BREAKING: An AP Reporter was blocked from entering the oval office after AP refused to change the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” in their guidelines.

😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/EyZeEtPxdp

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 11, 2025

🚨BREAKING: Associated Press Claims Trump Administration Excluded Them from Oval Office Event for Not Adhering to Trump’s Directive to Use “Gulf of Mexico.” pic.twitter.com/LLF1xs3V5z

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 11, 2025

Transcript of the statement here:

As a global news organization, The Associated Press informs billions of people around the world every day with factual, nonpartisan journalism.

ADVERTISEMENT

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.

AP Pentagon Correspondent Tara Copp similarly stated:

Today our @AP White House reporter was denied access to the Oval Office because the Associated Press recognizes the international body of water on our southern coastline as the Gulf of Mexico, while acknowledging President Donald Trump's order to rename it the Gulf of America.…

— Tara Copp (@TaraCopp) February 11, 2025

From AP:

The White House blocked an Associated Press reporter from an event in the Oval Office on Tuesday after demanding the news agency alter its style on the Gulf of Mexico, which President Donald Trump has ordered renamed the Gulf of America.

The reporter, whom the AP would not identify, tried to enter the White House event as usual Tuesday afternoon and was turned away. Later, a second AP reporter was barred from a late-evening event in the White House Diplomatic Room.

The highly unusual ban, which Trump administration officials had threatened earlier Tuesday unless the AP changed the style on the Gulf, could have constitutional free-speech implications.

Fox News also confirmed:

The Associated Press says its reporter was barred from an event at the Oval Office Tuesday for the outlet’s refusal to use the term “Gulf of America” in accordance with President Trump’s executive order renaming the body of water between the United States and Mexico.

ADVERTISEMENT

“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,” AP Executive Editor Julie Pace said in a statement.

“It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism,” Pace continued. “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.

Shocking, isn’t it?

The fake news left-wing media being excluded from an Oval Office press conference for refusing to call the Gulf of America by its new name.

All this after years of preaching about the dangers of ‘deadnaming!’

How dare the Associated Press deadname the Gulf of America! There is no place for hate in this administration. Democrats are denying Gulf of America’s right to exist!

(Hey Dems – did I do it, right?)

— SOMETHiNG WiCKED 🇺🇸 (@som3thingwicked) February 11, 2025

Trump’s message to the press is clear: don’t deadname the Gulf of America!

— Alec Lace (@AlecLace) February 11, 2025

Oh, the irony…