CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “And final thing for you, which White House official made the decision to bar the AP reporter from the Oval Office and the Diplomatic Reception Room last night?”
Leavitt: “Well, first of all, let me just set the record straight. It is a privilege to cover this White House. It’s a privilege to be the White House press secretary. And nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. That is an invitation that is given. And there are hundreds of outlets on this campus, many of you in this room who don’t have the privilege of being part of that pool every single day and getting to ask the President questions. We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office, and you all have credentials to be here, including the Associated Press, who was in this Briefing Room today.”
Press Sec Karoline Leavitt: “It is a privilege to cover this White House… Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. That’s an invitation that is given… We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.”
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: “But isn’t it retaliatory in nature is — is the argument because the reason the AP was barred, which they said was because they’re not using the phrase Gulf of America, they are using Gulf of Mexico in line with their standards. And so, the question here is this setting a precedent that the White House will retaliate against reporters who don’t use the language you guys believe reporters should use and how does that align with the First Amendment commitment that you were just talking about?”
Leavitt: “I was upfront in my briefing on day one if we feel there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room we are going to hold those lies accountable, and it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I am not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that, but that is what it is. The secretary of Interior has made that the official designation and the geographical identification name server and Apple has recognized that, Google has recognized that, pretty much every outlet in this room has recognized that body of water as the gulf of America, and it is very important to the said administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home but also for the rest of the world.”
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski: “There are still many countries that oppose free speech… Can you describe what the administration will do to protect U.S. interests and values?”
Press Sec Karoline Leavitt: President Trump “signed an executive order on day one to restore free speech and stop government funded censorship.”
Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski gets today’s “new media” seat at the White House Press Briefing: “Rumble was a victim of censorship at the hands of multiple foreign governments. It is clear there are still many countries who oppose free speech and even target American companies. Can you describe what the administration will do to protect U.S. Interests and values worldwide?”
Leavitt: “Sure. Well, thanks for the very important question, and I think that free speech and ending censorship both here at home and also abroad is an important part of President Trump’s agenda. I think first, President Trump has led by example on this front as the leader of the free world and the President of the United States, with his show up access and transparency on a daily basis. The President takes questions from all of you almost every single day, and really reveals what he is thinking and feeling, and I think that serves as a great example to the rest of the world. As for tangible actions that the President has signed, he did sign an executive order, I believe on day one, certainly within the first week of this administration, to restore free speech and stop government-sponsored censorship here at home and the EO made it very clear that federal employees are not allowed to engage in any activity that would infringe upon the American people’s right of free expression, so I think the President has led quite strongly on this, and I would just add this as part of the reason we have a new media seat, to invite new voices into this room.”
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Q: AP was barred BC not using Gulf of America; Rumble CEO Chris Pavlovski “new media” seat at Briefing