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In a significant development, staff members of the Trump administration informed Associated Press (AP) reporters Darlene Superville and photographer Ben Curtis that they were barred from joining the White House press pool in West Palm Beach, Florida, on February 15, 2025.
This restriction has drawn condemnation from Reuters, which voiced its objection to the limitations imposed on media outlets by the White House. Earlier this week, the Trump administration excluded AP journalists from critical locations, including the Oval Office and Air Force One.
In a statement issued on X, the Reuters Press Team expressed solidarity with the Associated Press and other media entities, opposing the coverage limitations set by the White House. “Reuters believes that journalists should have the freedom to report the news with reliability and independence, free from harassment or harm, everywhere including the United States,” the statement asserted.
This reaction follows the administration’s action to prevent AP reporters from accessing the Oval Office and Air Force One after the news organization declined to comply with a controversial decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America. The administration expressed its dissatisfaction with what it called the AP’s “disregard” for the name change.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich criticized the AP’s reporting, labeling it “irresponsible” and accompanying his criticisms with a post on X on Friday. He stated, “While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One.”
Budowich assured that the space usually occupied by AP personnel would be made available to other reporters, while confirming that AP journalists could still hold their White House credentials.
The White House Correspondents Association (WHCA), which advocates for journalists covering the president, has deemed the decision “unacceptable” and has expressed its support for the Associated Press. Eugene Daniels, the WHCA president, remarked in an earlier statement that “The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors’ decisions.” He emphasized that barring a reporter from the AP from coverage of an official event is not acceptable behavior.
Founded in 1846, the Associated Press is a long-established global news organization and has been a member of the 13-person White House press pool that regularly covers presidential activities. This recent barrier to access highlights ongoing tensions between media outlets and the current administration regarding press freedoms and responsibilities.
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