Trump on the Associated Press: “A Radical Left Organization”
U.S. President Donald Trump accused the Associated Press (AP) of being a “radical left organization” in his latest criticism of the news agency for refusing to adopt the new name “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico,” according to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
After taking office in January, Trump issued a decree renaming the Gulf of Mexico—which lies between the U.S. and Mexico—to the Gulf of America. However, the AP continued using its original name.
Following this, the White House barred AP reporters from entering the Oval Office and Air Force One.
In a speech on Thursday, Trump said, “We have an issue with one news agency, the Associated Press, a radical left organization that treats us all very unfairly and refuses to acknowledge that the gulf formerly known as Mexico’s is now called the Gulf of America.”
Late Thursday night, Elon Musk—the world’s wealthiest individual, whom Trump appointed to oversee government efficiency reforms aimed at reducing federal spending—wrote, “AP stands for Associated Propaganda.”
AP spokesperson Lauren Easton told AFP on Wednesday that “the government is trying to dictate the words the public and the press should use and is taking retaliatory measures against those who do not comply.”
In an editorial memo, the AP clarified that Trump’s decree renaming the Gulf of Mexico holds legal authority only within the United States, while Mexico, other countries, and international organizations have not recognized the change.
The agency added that it “will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new designation chosen by Trump.”
Founded in 1846, the Associated Press provides articles, photos, and videos to a broad range of U.S. and international media outlets.
In 2023, the agency, which employs over 3,000 people, published more than 375,000 articles, 1.24 million photos, and 80,000 video clips, according to its records.
