Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• White House to control press pool access — The White House announced it will decide which news organizations and reporters are allowed into the presidential press pool covering Donald Trump. This decision follows a temporary court ruling allowing the administration to bar the Associated Press (AP) from the Oval Office and Air Force One. The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) traditionally coordinates press access, but the administration claims it will now include new voices. The AP's access was revoked after it refused to comply with Trump's demand to rename the Gulf of Mexico, leading to accusations of violating First Amendment rights.
• White House takes control of press pool access — The Trump administration announced it will take control of the White House press pool, removing the White House Correspondents’ Association's (WHCA) role in deciding which journalists have access to the president. This decision was announced by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who framed it as democratizing access. The move has been criticized by media members, including a Fox News correspondent, as an attack on press independence. The administration has already barred the Associated Press from official events and removed Reuters from its traditional spot in the press pool.
• Trump administration to control press pool access — The White House announced it will control which reporters are allowed into the presidential press pool to cover Trump, taking over a role traditionally managed by the White House Correspondents’ Association. This decision follows a temporary ruling allowing the administration to bar the Associated Press over a naming dispute.
• — The Trump administration announced it would break precedent by choosing which media outlets are allowed to participate in the presidential press pool, a decision traditionally made by the White House Correspondents' Association. This move could limit press freedom and access to information.

Supporting reports

• Judge denies AP's request to restore access — A federal judge, Trevor McFadden, denied the Associated Press's request for a temporary injunction to restore its access to the Oval Office and other presidential events. The Trump administration had barred the AP for not using the term "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico" in its coverage. The judge, a Trump appointee, found the restriction on access to "more private areas" used by Trump to be different from previous cases where courts blocked revocation of journalists' access. The case will have another hearing next month.
• Judge denies AP's request for TRO against WH — A judge denied the Associated Press's request for a temporary restraining order after they were banned from White House briefings for refusing to use the term "Gulf of America." The judge noted the case's problematic nature but denied the TRO due to lack of "irreparable harm."
• Judge declines to issue restraining order for AP — A federal judge declined to issue a temporary restraining order to allow the Associated Press to regain access to presidential events, urging the Trump administration to reconsider its ban on the news organization. This decision highlights ongoing tensions between the administration and the press.

Supporting reports

• Richard Grenell calls for shutdown of US-funded media — Richard Grenell, Trump's envoy for special missions, called for the shutdown of US-funded media organizations Radio Free Europe and Voice of America. This move is part of a broader effort to control media narratives and limit independent journalism.

Supporting reports

• Associated Press barred from Oval Office — The Associated Press (AP) was barred from attending an Oval Office event where President Donald Trump signed an executive order. The exclusion was reportedly a punitive measure against AP for not adhering to Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. AP maintained its style guide, referring to the Gulf by its historical name. The White House Correspondents’ Association condemned the action as a violation of press freedom, emphasizing the importance of independent journalism.
• White House bars AP reporters from press events — The White House barred two Associated Press (AP) reporters from attending press events after the AP refused to use the term "Gulf of America" instead of "Gulf of Mexico." This decision followed a complaint over AP's editorial choices. The AP's executive editor, Julie Pace, criticized the move as a violation of free speech and the First Amendment, arguing it was intended to punish the AP for its editorial stance. The White House press secretary stated that access to the Oval Office is a privilege and defended the decision.
• Establishment of the National Energy Dominance Council — President Donald Trump issued an executive order establishing the National Energy Dominance Council within the Executive Office of the President. The Council, chaired by the Secretary of the Interior, aims to advise the President on strategies to enhance U.S. energy production and achieve energy dominance. It will focus on improving energy permitting processes, increasing production, and reducing regulatory barriers. The Council will also coordinate with federal agencies and private sector partners to implement a National Energy Dominance Strategy, aiming to boost economic growth and national security through energy initiatives.
• White House bans AP journalists from Oval Office — The White House has announced an indefinite ban on Associated Press (AP) journalists from accessing the Oval Office and Air Force One. This decision is part of an ongoing dispute between the Trump administration and the AP over the naming of the Gulf of Mexico, which the administration has renamed the Gulf of America. The White House accuses the AP of misinformation for not adopting the new name. Despite the ban, AP journalists retain their credentials for the White House complex. The AP and other media outlets have criticized the move as a violation of press freedoms.

Supporting reports

• State Department orders cancellation of media subscriptions — The U.S. State Department has issued a directive to its global outposts to cancel all "non-mission critical" media subscriptions. This directive, reportedly issued on February 11, 2025, aims to cut costs by stopping work orders on contracts for publications, periodicals, and newspapers that are not academic or professional journals. The move affects hundreds of U.S. diplomatic offices worldwide and has raised concerns among staff about the potential impact on their ability to assess threats and arrange diplomatic activities safely.

Supporting reports

• FCC investigates KCBS reporting — The FCC launched an investigation into the San Francisco-based radio station KCBS for its reporting on immigration enforcement actions in San José. This investigation reflects the administration's scrutiny of media coverage critical of its policies.

Supporting reports

• Musk calls for firing of WSJ reporter — Elon Musk called for the firing of Wall Street Journal reporter Katherine Long after she reported on racist social media posts by a DOGE employee. Musk accused her of "criminal" behavior, reflecting his antagonism towards critical journalism.

Supporting reports

• Trump calls for firing of columnist Eugene Robinson — President Trump called for the firing of Washington Post columnist Eugene Robinson in a post on Truth Social. Robinson has been critical of Trump and Musk, and this call reflects the administration's antagonism towards dissenting voices in the media.

Supporting reports

• Trump calls for CBS to cancel '60 Minutes' — President Trump called for CBS to cancel '60 Minutes' and suggested the network should lose its broadcasting license. This statement reflects the administration's antagonism towards media outlets critical of its policies.
• Trump calls for CBS News to be terminated — On February 6, 2025, Trump claimed that CBS News "defrauded the public" regarding an edited interview with Kamala Harris, calling for the network to be "immediately terminated." This statement reflects an attack on press freedom, as it seeks to punish a media outlet for its editorial choices.

Supporting reports

• FCC cancels POLITICO subscriptions — The White House announced the cancellation of $8 million worth of POLITICO subscriptions following a conspiracy theory that the news organization was subsidized by USAID funds. This decision reflects the administration's antagonism towards critical media outlets.

Supporting reports

• Pentagon implements media rotation program — The Pentagon has announced a new "annual media rotation program" that will replace traditional media outlets with non-traditional ones in its press spaces. The New York Times, NPR, NBC, and Politico will be replaced by the New York Post, Breitbart, One America News Network, and HuffPost, respectively. This change, set to take effect on February 14, aims to broaden access to the Pentagon's Correspondents' Corridor. The move has been criticized by affected outlets as impeding access and not serving the public interest.
• Pentagon informs press corps of media rotation — The Pentagon informed its resident press corps that NBC, NPR, the New York Times, and Politico would have to rotate out to give seats to the New York Post, Breitbart, OANN, and HuffPost. This decision could affect media access and the diversity of press coverage at the Pentagon.

Supporting reports

• FCC opens investigation into NPR and PBS — FCC Chair Brendan Carr opened an investigation into NPR and PBS to determine if they have been violating federal law by airing commercials. This investigation could impact public broadcasting and its funding model.
• FCC requests unedited transcript from CBS News — The FCC sent a request to CBS News for the unedited transcript of its '60 Minutes' interview with Kamala Harris. This request is part of an investigation into potential violations of federal law by the network.