Trump accused of violating First Amendment after AP reporter barred from occasion over ‘Gulf of America’ renaming | EUROtoday

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The Trump administration has been accused of violating the First Amendment after an Associated Press reporter was barred from attending an Oval Office occasion.

The information company stated it was given an ultimatum over its editorial choice to discuss with the Gulf of Mexico by its authentic identify “while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.”

As a outcome, a reporter was barred from attending an govt order signing with Elon Musk on Tuesday, the AP stated in an announcement.

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“Today we were informed by the White House that if AP did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, AP would be barred from accessing an event in the Oval Office. This afternoon AP’s reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing,” the company’s Executive Editor Julie Pace stated in an announcement.

“It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism. 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.”

The sentiment was shared by the National Press Club, which stated the Trump administration’s choice to bar the AP reporter was “ a direct attack on press freedom.”

“Barring a journalist from an official event because their newsroom refuses to conform to government-imposed language is more than an attack on one reporter or outlet — it is an assault on the First Amendment and the public’s right to know,” the membership’s president Mike Balsamo stated in an announcement.

Balsamo urged the Trump administration “to immediately reverse course.”

“Anything less sets a dangerous precedent and erodes the fundamental values of a free society,” he added.

The Independent has contacted the White House for remark.

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Trump signed the chief order titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness” on his first day in workplace on January 20 after insisting that the gulf ought to rejoice the U.S. somewhat than Mexico.

The Gulf of Mexico has carried its identify for the reason that seventeenth century, however the rebrand got here into impact throughout the nation on Monday. Both names seem to Google Maps customers outdoors of the nation however in Mexico it is going to retain its conventional identify.

Explaining the choice to not change its model, the AP stated that as a result of it caters to audiences across the globe, it “must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.”

The company additionally referenced Trump’s govt order to revert the identify of Denali in Alaska, North America’s tallest peak, to Mount McKinley, which it could mirror in reporting any further.

“The area lies solely in the United States and as president, Trump has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country,” the company stated.