Karoline Leavitt stuns reporters with warning to those who ‘lie’ about Trump and refuse to use Gulf of America

Donald Trump’s press secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a stark warning to reporters that if they ‘lie’ about his administration they will face consequences.

Leavitt made the declaration when she was asked about the White House’s decision to ban the Associated Press from two presidential events on Tuesday.

The news organization had refused to call the Gulf of Mexico the ‘Gulf of America’ after Trump renamed the body of water on Sunday, using an executive order.

‘It is a privilege to cover this White House,’ Leavitt said. ‘It’s a privilege to be the White House press secretary. And nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. That’s an invitation that is given.’

She added: ‘I was very upfront in my briefing on day one, that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable.’

The Associated Press was in Leavitt’s briefing on Wednesday with a correspondent seated in the news agency’s usual front row seat.

Leavitt did not call on the AP reporter to ask a question.

Later on Wednesday, an AP reporter was excluded when journalists were called into the Oval Office for Tulsi Gabbard’s swearing-in as Director of National Intelligence.

AP executive editor Julie Pace sent a letter to White House chief of staff Susie Wiles objecting to the outlet being blocked from events.

She wrote: ‘It is among the most basic tenets of the First Amendment that the government cannot retaliate against the public or the press for what they say.’

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt warned reporters that if they ‘lie’ about President Donald Trump’s administration they will face the consequences

The news organization said on Tuesday that it was ‘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.’ 

Pace called the decision ‘alarming,’ a violation of the First Amendment and impeding the public’s access to independent news.

An AP reporter was also banned on Tuesday from covering Trump’s Oval Office meeting with Elon Musk, and when the president greeted returned American hostage Marc Foley later that evening. An AP photographer was present for both events.

Leavitt blasted the AP for not using ‘Gulf of America’ in its coverage, saying it was important that ‘we get it right.’

She said: ‘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, but that is what it is.’

Leavitt added: ‘The Secretary of Interior has made that the official designation and the geographical identification name server. And Apple has recognized that. Google has recognized that.

‘Pretty much every other outlet in this room has recognized that body of water as the Gulf of America. And it’s very important to this administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home, but also for the rest of the world.’

News organizations around the world subscribe to the AP’s wire coverage of global events, including events at the White House. The news organization is a non-profit with bureaus around the world.

In its AP Stylebook, which is used by many news organizations in America, the AP outlines its status on the use of the name.

‘The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years,’ it says. ‘The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.

‘As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences.’

It points out ‘the body of water has shared borders between the U.S. and Mexico. Trump’s order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.’

Trump signed an executive order on Sunday changing the body of water’s name. 

The White House Correspondents’ Association called the White House’s action against AP ‘unacceptable’.

Trump, in his first term, barred journalists whose coverage he didn’t like. He clashed with Jim Acosta, then CNN’s White House correspondent, repeatedly. Acosta had his press pass revoked. CNN sued and a court reinstated the pass. 

An Associated Press reporter was banned from Trump’s meeting with Elon Musk in the Oval

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters aboard Air Force One, where he signed a proclamation declaring the Gulf of America Day

Leavitt also used her time at the briefing room podium on Wednesday to blast the pool system that covers the president.

Hundreds of journalists are credentialed to cover the White House. It is not possible for all of them to travel with the president on Air Force One or to fit in the Oval Office.

Because of that, White House Correspondents Association runs a ‘pool system.’ Representatives from the wire services, TV networks, radio stations, and print outlets – along with several photographers – are with the president on those occasions and send out ‘pool reports’ on what the president says and does. 

There are 16 journalists in the pool that covers Oval Office events and 13 that travel with the president – due to seating restrictions on Air Force One. 

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About 30 outlets out of the hundreds that cover the president participate in the pools.

News outlets pay to travel with the president and the expense can prohibit smaller outlets from traveling. 

‘There are hundreds of outlets on this campus,’ Leavitt said. 

‘Many of you in this room don’t have the privilege of being part of that pool every single day and getting to ask the president questions.’ she said.

‘We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office, and you all have credentials to be here, including the Associated Press who is in this briefing room.’

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