White House AP ban linked to dispute over Butler shooting photo

Reports indicate that the White House ban on The Associated Press (AP) during the early weeks of Donald Trump’s second term was driven by more than just a dispute over geographic naming. While the administration previously cited the AP’s refusal to use the term “Gulf of America” for the Gulf of Mexico, new information suggests the restriction also stemmed from the news agency’s decision not to grant the Trump team rights to a specific photograph.

The photograph depicts Mr. Trump with a bloodied face and a raised fist following an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, in July 2024. According to reports, White House aides linked the ban to the denial of these photo rights during a private lunch with Mr. Trump and network anchors. The image has been used extensively by the Trump campaign and is featured in official White House displays.

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung defended the administration’s actions, stating that “biased reporting from the media is a disservice to the American people” and asserting that the administration uses all available tools to ensure accurate reporting. A federal judge previously ruled that the ban on AP reporters attending certain White House events was a violation of the First Amendment.