April 20, 2025

Trump vs. the media

 Daily Kos - President Donald Trump is escalating his war on the media—this time by backing an appeal to a judge’s ruling that forced the White House to reinstate The Associated Press’ press credentials. 

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, ordered the administration to let the AP back in after it kicked reporters out for refusing to call the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” The ruling went into effect Monday, but AP reporters and photographers were still being locked out of Oval Office events, according to others in the press corps as well as the AP itself, as of midday Monday.

This isn’t just petty—it’s calculated. The strategy’s clear: Bully the press into compliance, and if that doesn’t work, slam the door shut. Outlets that hold the line—like the AP—get punished. Ones that cozy up to Trump, like The Washington Post, get a pat on the head and a few flattering social media posts.


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