Associated Press says government should not retaliate against news organizations over their words
Associated PressNews cooperative, in an institutional statement published in its own report
The Associated Press said the government should not retaliate against a news organization or person over the words they use and expressed support for the barred outlets.
“No news organization — or person — should be retaliated against by the government over the words they use.”
Official statement
Where this statement fits
Should President Trump bar CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House over their coverage?
On Friday, September 18, 2026, President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that, "effective immediately, I am banning" CNN, MS NOW and Politico "from the White House as a result of their constant 'reporting' FAKE NEWS!" About an hour later, in the Oval Office, he said no particular story prompted the decision, that he does not want the outlets "in my office," and that "somebody has a right to keep them away" if outlets write false stories. The three outlets and press-freedom groups oppose the exclusion, citing constitutional protection for the press, and the White House Correspondents' Association said it "stands in defense of our colleagues at CNN, MSNOW, and POLITICO." On Saturday, September 19, MS NOW, CNN and Politico said their White House reporters were refused entry and had press passes confiscated; the White House referred questions to Trump's earlier remarks. The dispute is over whether President Trump should exclude named news organizations from White House access over what they report.
Source and context
Official statement
About this source
The Associated Press's own report reproduces the news cooperative's formal statement supporting the organizations barred by the White House.
Before the quotation
The AP reported that journalists from the three named organizations had been denied access and said it supported them.
After the quotation
The statement links that support to a general rule against government retaliation over speech.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The AP's institutional statement opposes government retaliation based on speech in direct response to the White House exclusions.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Donald Trump
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- Associated Press says government should not retaliate against news organizations over their words
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The Dispute Index. "Associated Press says government should not retaliate against news organizations over their words". First published: 2026-09-21. Last updated: 2026-09-21. https://disputeindex.com/events/1308-the-associated-press-said-the-government-should-not