The Associated Press sued the Trump administration for restricting its access to the White House after the news outlet refused to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the "Gulf of America" in its style guide.
The largest newswire in the country had little luck; a district court judge refused The AP’s request to lift the ban. So, The Associated Press asked again earlier this month.
The ban is largely unprecedented — The Associated Press is one of America’s most established and well-respected news organizations. But the administration remains steadfast, even banning an AP photographer who attempted to sneak into Trump’s media pool over the weekend.
Dozens of news outlets, including Fox News and The New York Times, signed a letter urging the administration to lift the ban.
But despite the media’s outcry, this is a pivotal moment in Trump’s war on “fake news.”
The mainstream narrative presents The Associated Press as a fair and neutral outlet serving the role of a free press. In reality, it is far from neutral.
Although The Associated Press is a non-profit, it is funded by a vast network of left-wing donors.
Its board members have deep ties to progressive advocacy groups, including initiatives like NewsGuard, which has promoted global censorship efforts, federal crackdowns on vaccine-related content, and donors such as George Soros, Bill Gates, and Hillary Clinton — power brokers who worked to prevent Trump’s second administration.
The AP’s coverage of climate change alarmism, transgender ideology, gender theory, critical race theory, and racial justice reporting has been funded by left-wing charities.
The outlet even operated an office in Gaza where Hamas terrorists were present while claiming to report fairly on the conflict.
The ideological bias doesn’t stop there. The Associated Press distributes its style guide to thousands of outlets across the US and abroad. In its own words, the AP style guide serves as “an arbiter of language,” forcing journalists to use framing that promotes race theory, child sex changes, pro-abortion ideology, and other left-wing priorities.
This mainstream outlet is clearly not a neutral player. So, is Trump’s ban truly an attack on the free press?
Consider this: Would it have been considered an attack on the free press if President Biden banned The Daily Signal, a conservative outlet, from press briefings? Because that happened, and it was largely ignored.
The situations are similar. Both are outlets with ideological leanings. Both apply for the privilege — not the right — to be present at press briefings.
The Associated Press claims it has a right to be there. If that were true, then Upward News would have the same right — along with the hundreds and thousands of other news outlets in the country. It couldn’t work.
The Trump administration is making an example of The Associated Press, sending a clear message that mainstream outlets have operated under the guise of a “free press” for too long. For years, they’ve enjoyed a free pass — claiming neutrality while pushing a partisan agenda. Now, they’re being held accountable.
