Quotes
The White House has ordered The Associated Press to use certain words in its coverage or else face an indefinite denial of access,
the AP said
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We'll see them in court,
Leavitt said during an appearance Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference in WashingtonThe Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen,
it saidWe're going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it's the Gulf of America,
Trump said Tuesday
The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,
the AP said in its lawsuit, which names White House chief of staff Susan Wiles, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich and press secretary Karoline LeavittThis targeted attack on the AP's editorial independence and ability to gather and report the news strikes at the very core of the First Amendment,
the news agency saidWell, first of all let me just set the record straight. It is a privilege to cover this White House, it's a privilege to be the White House Press Secretary. Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. Thats an invitation that is given."
Leavitt when asked by CNN's Kaitlin Collins about the decision to bar the AP from events in part
Freedom of speech is a pillar of American democracy and a core value of the American people. The White House has said it supports these principles. The actions taken to restrict AP's coverage of presidential events because of how we refer to a geographic location chip away at this important right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for all Americans."
The AP spokesperson Lauren Easton previously told NewsweekGood. The Associated Press, one of the world's oldest and most trusted news orgs, having participated in the White House press pool for more than a century, is suing the White House Press Secretary and Chief of Staff for violating our 1st and 5th Amendments."
Media strategist Jason Kint said on X (formerly Twitter) on FridayThere are hundreds of outlets on this campus, many of you in this room who don't have the privilege of being part of that pool every single day and getting to ask the president questions." ... We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office."
Leavitt added ... Later continuingWe feel we are in the right in this position. We are going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day."
Responding to questions about the lawsuit posed by conservative commentator Mercedes Schlapp, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, speaking during an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, said
We can understand President Trump's frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax still supports the AP's right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting,
Newsmax said in a statement to The New York Times
We're holding them out of any news conferences, now I'm sure they'll get sued and maybe they'll win, it doesn't matter, it's just something we feel strongly about,
the president saidWe fear a future administration may not like something Newsmax writes and seek to ban us.
It continuedThere are no U.S. Supreme Court opinions or lower court decisions as yet that specifically establish such a right, though a few appellate court rulings involve circumstances around the issue,
opined the nonprofit Freedom Forum
When the AP is denied access, the thousands of global news outlets that republish the AP’s news reports, and the billions of people that rely on its reporting, also are denied access,
the lawyers arguedThe Associated Press just refuses to go with what the law is and what has taken place, it’s called the ‘Gulf of America’ now,
Trump said at a press conference earlier this week – an event The AP was not allowed to attend