Trump blocked THIS news agency from Modi press conference amid 'Gulf of Mexico/America' naming dispute

US President Donald Trump's team on Thursday (Feb 13) blocked the Associated Press (AP), one of the world's most prominent news organisations, from attending the Republican's joint press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The move, as per reports, follows days of increasing restrictions on the AP's access to White House events. The restrictions come after AP failed to comply with Trump's order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

AP slams increasing restriction

In a statement, AP executive editor Julie Pace condemned the exclusion as "a deeply troubling escalation of the administration's continued efforts to punish The Associated Press for its editorial decisions"

She called on the Trump White House to immediately halt the practice, describing it as "a plain violation of the First Amendment".

Why the restrictions?

Tensions between the AP and the Trump administration flared earlier in the week after the White House objected to the AP's stylebook guidance about the Gulf of Mexico. The dispute stems from Trump's recent order directing government agencies to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the 'Gulf of America'.

AP, a global news outlet, continues to use the original name while noting the renaming order in its reporting. This stance drew the ire of White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who on Wednesday (Feb 11) accused the AP of publishing "lies" by failing to comply with what she called the "fact" that the Gulf has been renamed.

On Tuesday, AP reporters found themselves shut out of Trump's media events. The exclusions continued on Wednesday and culminated in a full ban from Thursday's high-profile joint press conference with Modi.

AP to take legal action?

The AP is a core member of the White House press pool and plays a vital role in sharing coverage with other media organisations.

"This is now the third day AP reporters have been barred from covering the president – first as a member of the pool, and now from a formal press conference," said Pace.

She did not rule out legal action, noting that the restriction was "an incredible disservice to the billions of people who rely on The Associated Press for nonpartisan news."

(With inputs from agencies)