President Donald Trump strongly criticized the Associated Press on Monday as he justified his administration’s surprising move to take over the White House press pool. The aim was to introduce more pro-MAGA voices into the group of journalists covering his activities.
In response to the Associated Press’ refusal to comply with his request to refer to the body of water as the ‘Gulf of America’ instead of the original ‘Gulf of Mexico,’ Trump labeled the 177-year-old news agency as ‘radical left.’
‘Well, we’re going to be now calling the shots,’ Trump said.
Pointing to a map displaying the new name, Trump proudly stated, ‘We prevailed in that legal battle – look, there it is, the Gulf of America, a much more fitting name.’
He was referring to a procedural win in the AP’s lawsuit which is still very much alive, as it seeks to get its correspondents reinstated in coverage aboard Air Force One and Oval Office question-and-answer sessions. The organization had wanted a judge to provide immediate relief.
‘AP has been terrible. I think they’re radical left. I think they’re third-rate reporters. I know the person, that specific young lady that works on the account is terrible. She’s a radical left lunatic, as far as I’m concerned.’
It was not immediately clear who Trump was specifically referring to. DailyMail.com has sought further clarification from the White House.
President Donald Trump tore into the Associated Press when asked about a shock move Monday to seize control of the White House press pool group that covers Oval Office events and Air Force One travel
Then Trump complained about AP’s coverage and went back to the Gulf controversy. ‘They don’t treat us fairly. And number two, they had no right to do that. This is the Gulf of America.’
Then Trump began musing about the southern coast of the U.S. ‘If you look at that shoreline – look at Charlotte, like from Florida. Most of it is called America. And a vast majority, big numbers – so, admiring it, as I look at it, I’m getting teary eyed,’ Trump said.
Besides seizing control of the pool and banning the AP, the Trump White House has taken other steps to try to garner more favorable coverage. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has invited an array of more Trump friendly outlets to secure press credentials and been calling on them at her briefings.
Trump called on such a reporter for the first question at a Monday press conference, and got asked about a favorable new poll.
The president’s attack on the wire service came after press secretary Leavitt announced Tuesday that the White House would now determine which reporters make up the press ‘pool’ – the group of journalists allowed into tight spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One.
Trump did not respond directly when asked about the changes to the pool, after being told it was getting a lot of attention online.
Pool assignments had been in the hands of the White House Correspondents’ Association – a membership organization for White House journalists from an array of outlets – to keep the White House from gatekeeping access.
Trump blasted the 177-year old news agency
Trump tried to get reporters, many of whom work under guidelines about gifts from sources or people they cover, with ‘Trump was right about everything’ hats
Leavitt claimed during Tuesday’s briefing that the new move would ‘give even greater access to the American people.’
‘We want more outlets and new outlets to have a chance ot take part in the press pool, to cover the administration’s unprecedented achievements up close, front-and-center,’ she said.
She continued: ‘As you all know for decades, a group of D.C.-based journalists, the White House Correspondents’ Association, has long dictated which journalists get to ask questions of the president of the United States in these most intimate spaces.’
‘Not anymore,’ the 27-year-old press secretary said.
‘I am proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch your television shows and who listen to your radio stations,’ Leavitt said. ‘Moving forward the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team.’
Press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Tuesday that the White House would now determine which reporters make up the press ‘pool’ – the group of journalists allowed into tight spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One
On Monday, the White House trolled the Associated Press by putting up signate in the briefing room that read: ‘Victory – Gulf of America.’ A preliminary ruling didn’t allow the AP to immediately rejoin the White House ‘pool’
Traditionally the pool consists of a reporter from each of the three wire services – the Associated Press, Reuters and Bloomberg – a television crew and correspondent, a print reporter, a radio reporter and five still photographers, which also includes the AP.
There are 13 press seats available on Air Force One – and media outlets pay for their flights on board the presidential aircraft.
Nobody took the seats of the AP reporter and photographer who were booted from Trump’s Presidents’ Day weekend trip to Mar-a-Lago and Miami over the ‘Gulf of America’ drama.
Leavitt said Tuesday that ‘legacy outlets’ would still be allowed to join the pool.
‘But new voices are going to be welcomed in as well,’ she said.
The press secretary said that a TV crew would still be invited to join the pool, as would a print reporter – who represents both newspapers and online outlets – and a radio pooler.
DailyMail.com participates in the print pool rotation.
She said the White House would add in print and radio outlets ‘who have been denied access.’
The two empty seats that traditionally would have been reserved for the Associated Press’ reporter and photographer are shown in the press cabin of Air Force One for the February 14 flight between Joint Base Andrews and West Palm Beach
The Associated Press’ Darlene Superville is told by a Trump White House aide on February 14 that she’ll be unable to board Air Force One after the White House banished the outlet for its refusal to use ‘Gulf of America’
‘And we will add additional outlets and reporters who are well-suited to cover the news of the day and ask substantive questions of the president of the United States,’ Leavitt said.
She didn’t say if the White House would continue to allow wire services to maintain a reporter in the pool every day.
Eugene Daniels, this year’s president of the WHCA, said in a statement that the Correspondents’ Association had been blindsided by the White House’s announcement.
‘To be clear, the White House did not give the WHCA board a heads up or have any discussions about today’s announcements,’ he said.
He also argued that the Trump White House wasn’t increasing access but rather picking and choosing which reporters got closest to the president.
‘This move tears at the independence of a free press in the United States,’ Daniels said. ‘It suggests the government will choose the journalists who cover the president.’
‘In a free country, leaders must not be able to choose their own press corps,’ Daniels offered.
He also noted that the WHCA has expanded ‘its pool rotations to facilitate the inclusion of new and emerging outlets.’
‘Since its founding in 1914, the WHCA has sought to ensure that the reporters, photographers, producers and technicians who actually do the work – 365 days of every year – decide amongst themselves how these rotations are operated, so as to ensure consistent professional standards and fairness in access on behalf of all readers, viewers and listeners,’ Daniels said.
Former Trump White House press secretary Sean Spicer personally blamed Daniels for the pool shake-up due to his decision to have Amber Ruffin headline April’s White House Correspondents’ Dinner.
‘If you are a member of the WHCA you might want direct blame towards your current President – Eugene Daniels – who proudly invited a Trump hating comedian to their annual leftist elitest dinner,’ Spicer posted Tuesday to X on the heels of Leavitt’s announcement.
Fox News Channel’s Senior White House Correspondent Jacqui Heinrich, a WHCA board member, publicly chastised the White House’s decision.
‘This move does not give the power back to the people – it gives power to the White House,’ she wrote on X.
‘The WHCA is democratically elected by the full-time White House press corps,’ she explained. ‘WHCA has determined pools for decades because only representatives FROM our outlets can determine resources all those outlets have – such as staffing – in order to get the President’s message out to the largest possible audience, no matter the day or hour.’
Fox News and Newsmax also signed onto a letter supporting the AP that was organized by the WHCA.
President Donald Trump’s White House has already elevated niche conservative outlets. During Monday’s press conference with French President Emmanual Macron, Real America’s Voice’s Brian Glenn, who dates Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, got the first question
The Trump White House had already elevated a number of niche right-wing outlets since taking office last month.
During his Monday press conference alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, the president first selected Real America’s Voice White House correspondent Brian Glenn, the boyfriend of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, to ask a question.
Glenn brought up a Harvard poll that showed Trump up 9-plus points and noted how the president was accomplishing his agenda, including ending the war in Ukraine.
‘If you can comment on the latest Harvard poll, I’d appreciate that,’ Glenn asked Trump, tossing the president an easy lay-up.
In another such instance, the president called on the Gateway Pundit’s Jordan Conradson at his press conference alongside Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Conradson asked Modi: ‘I’m just curious, how much more confident are you with President Trump leading this country that there will be peace through strength and you will have a successful partnership with the United States – versus Biden’s incompetence and weakness over the last four years?’
Trump audibly laughed into the microphone.
‘That’s your question, but I’ll agree with you,’ the president answered. ‘I agree with you. Gross incompetence.’
During Leavitt’s first briefing, she said a seat usually reserved for White House staff would now be utilized by a member of the ‘new media.’
The seat has been reserved for a mix of outlets: more moderate start-ups like Axios and Semafor, popular podcasters and conservative media personalities.
On Friday the Associated Press sued three White House officials – Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich – over the wire service’s banishment.
‘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 lawsuit said.
‘This 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,’ it continued. ‘This court should remedy it immediately.’
On Monday a federal judge refused to intervene and allow the AP back in the pool temporarily. The AP could still be successful in the case, of which the WHCA has filed an amicus brief.
That didn’t stop the White House from celebrating.
The TVs in the briefing room showed an image of the ‘Gulf of America’ stamped with the words ‘VICTORY.’
