White House Spokesman: AP ‘Weaponizing Language’

(NEWSMAX) The Associated Press has objected to President Donald Trump and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt’s criticisms and reduction of press gaggle invitations, but the White House spokesman called out “weaponizing language” used by the organization.

“This isn’t just about the Gulf of America,” White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich told Axios. “This is about AP weaponizing language through their stylebook to push a partisan worldview in contrast with the traditional and deeply held beliefs of many Americans and many people around the world.”

After the AP refused to accept Trump’s presidential decree renaming the Gulf of America, Trump and his White House communications team did not invite AP reporters into future Oval Office executive order signings, where Trump has been giving 20-30 minutes of off-the-cuff remarks to reporters.

AP decried its being “blocked” from invites, but failed to note that former President Joe Biden did not provide the Oval Office meets Trump was providing, and Leavitt added that those signing events happen in a room with limited space that could not allow for all media to come.

Leavitt noted at a daily press briefing last week that AP still had access to press briefings and other credentialed areas of the White House, saying it is a privilege and not a right for all outlets to stake claim.

And, Friday, the White House announced that because AP “continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America,” its past slots in the Oval Office and on Air Force One “will now be opened up” to other reporters.

Still, AP, which has written countless reports on Trump’s contesting the 2020 election, has demanded full access to all Trump White House press gaggles over any news outlet.

Lauren Easton, AP’s vice president of Corporate Communications, told Axios that AP “is a global, fact-based, nonpartisan news organization with thousands of customers around the world who span the political spectrum. … If AP journalism wasn’t factual and nonpartisan, this wouldn’t be the case.”

Trump and Leavitt argue that refusing to call it the Gulf of America is a denial of “fact,” a “lie,” and an actual “disinformation” campaign.

“It is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that,” Leavitt said.

Despite the “weaponizing language,” per Budowich, Easton said AP provides mere “guidance on issues brought to us by members and customers, and it is up to them what they choose to use.

“Again, this is guidance. It’s not surprising that political parties, organizations or even individuals may disagree with some entries. The stylebook doesn’t align with any particular agenda.”

Among the AP’s style decisions:

• Using the phrase “gender-affirming care,”
• Capitalizing Black but not white for references to race.
• AP rejected the term “illegal immigrant”: “Use illegal only to refer to an action, not a person: illegal immigration, but not illegal immigrant,” according to AP.”
• AP doesn’t recommend “undocumented immigrant.”