The acting U.S. attorney for Washington, D.C. issued an overt threat against the media Monday afternoon, saying the Justice Department intends to strike back against any news outlet fighting President Donald Trump's "America first" agenda.
The threat came after the Trump administration barred Associated Press journalists from accessing certain White House spaces and events, including the Oval Office and Air Force One, the AP said. At issue was the AP's refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.
"As President Trumps' (sic) lawyers, we are proud to fight to protect his leadership as our President and we are vigilant in standing against entities like the AOP that refuse to put America first," acting U.S. Attorney Edward Martin said in a statement.
Ten days after the incident, on Friday, the AP sued, naming Susie Wiles, the White House's deputy chief of staff, Taylor Budowich, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt as defendants.
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“The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the AP said in its lawsuit.
Politico reported Monday morning that Trump personally asked that the AP be banned.
Martin's comments raised alarm among experts and onlookers on social media.
"Dear god. You are not the president’s lawyers. You are the Government’s lawyers. Your oath is to the Constitution, not the President. Disgusting degradation of the Justice Department," said national security lawyer Bradley P. Moss.
"The AP's transgression is, apparently, not adopting the president's preferred name for the Gulf of Mexico," said Reuters justice reporter Brad Heath.
"He doesn’t even have anything to do with this case, it’s a Civil Division matter, not the USAO for DC," elections lawyer Andy Craig pointed out.