“It is among the most basic tenets of the First Amendment that the government cannot retaliate against the public or the press for what they say.”**
She further emphasized that the AP would “vigorously defend its constitutional rights and protest the infringement on the public’s right to independent news coverage of their government and elected officials.”
However, Leavitt appeared unfazed, telling reporters: **”It is a privilege to cover this White House.
“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 continued: **”I was very upfront in my briefing on day one that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable.
“And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America. And I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that.”**
The AP reporter who was barred from coverage had been attempting to report on an event where Trump and Elon Musk discussed their planned cuts to the federal government under Musk’s DOGE initiative.
Later, they were also denied access to an event featuring a U.S. prisoner recently released by Russia.
The Associated Press wire service—part of the so-called ‘press pool’ in political reporting—serves as a key news source for media outlets worldwide, and its style guide is widely recognized as an industry standard.
