White House Hit With Backlash After Barring AP From Oval Office, Air Force One Indefinitely: 'These Actions Are Wholly Un-American'

The White House was hit with backlash after it indefinitely barred The Associated Press from both the Oval Office and Air Force One, the president's private jet, for continuing to refuse to refer to the "Gulf of Mexico" as such.

In January, AP released a statement declaring it would continue using "place names and geography" that are easily recognizable to all audiences since it is a global news agency. President Donald Trump then signed an executive order on Feb. 9 officially renaming the body of water to the "Gulf of America." Tech giants, including Google and Apple, have also fallen in line while AP continues abstaining.

On Friday, President Trump's White House Deputy Chief of Staff and Cabinet Secretary Taylor Budowich stated the outlet "continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America."

"This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press' commitment to misinformation," Budowich wrote in a X post. "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."

"Going forward, that space will now be opened up to the many thousands of reporters who have been barred from covering these intimate areas of the administration," he continued.

AP journalists will be allowed in the White House, Budowich added.

Earlier this week, after Trump first banned AP reporters from the Oval Office, Julie Pace, AP's senior vice president and executive editor, released a statement lambasting the Trump administration's decision.

"It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism," Pace wrote. "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."