Washington, D.C., February 26, 2025—White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt supported a federal judge’s ruling denying the Associated Press (AP) immediate reinstatement of access to key presidential events. The AP lost access to the Oval Office and Air Force One after refusing to acknowledge President Donald Trump’s order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” Leavitt stated that such access is a privilege, not a right.
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) criticized the move, calling it a threat to press freedom. Leavitt responded by announcing that the White House would now determine which journalists cover its events, replacing WHCA’s traditional role in press pool coordination.
