In a move that feels ripped from the pages of a dystopian thriller, President Donald Trump has once again chosen power over principle—defying a federal court order and continuing to blacklist journalists who won’t fall in line.
At the center of this disturbing crackdown is the Associated Press, one of the most respected news organizations in the world. On Monday, as Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele entered the Oval Office, AP’s journalist and photographer were shut out, locked outside the doors of democracy—despite a judge’s clear ruling restoring their access.
The reason for their exile? They refused to use Trump’s newly coined name for the Gulf of Mexico: “The Gulf of America.” Yes, you read that right.
AP defended its stance, stating that “as a global news agency,” it must use internationally recognized geography. But in Trump’s America, truth is now negotiable—and those who resist the rewriting of reality are punished.
Earlier this month, a federal court struck down Trump’s blacklist, calling it a direct violation of the First Amendment. Judge Trevor McFadden warned that the government “cannot shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints.”
The White House’s response? An appeal—and continued defiance.
The AP reports that its journalists remain banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One, with only inconsistent, fragmented access to briefings. Even White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has joined the offensive, berating AP reporters and dismissing critical questions as “insulting.”
This isn’t just a war on one media outlet. It’s a systematic campaign to silence dissent, manipulate public perception, and transform the press into a mouthpiece—or remove it entirely.
Trump has long labeled the media as “enemies of the people.” But now, that language is becoming action. Quietly. Relentlessly.
And what comes next? If a president can openly defy a court order and blacklist reporters for using the wrong words—what can’t he do?
The lights are still on in the White House. But the truth is being dragged out the back door.
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