The media has always been an enemy of Trump’s. But their hatred of the president has reached a new level.
And the Leftist media is organizing a targeted assault on President Donald Trump.
Media Members Push for Trump Boycott Amid White House Clash with Associated Press
A growing faction within the establishment media is calling for a national boycott of President Donald Trump following a high-profile dispute between the White House and the Associated Press (AP). The controversy stems from the AP’s refusal to acknowledge the “Gulf of America” as the official name for the body of water traditionally known as the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the White House barring the outlet from its events.
If major media networks were to collectively boycott Trump, they could face significant financial setbacks. At the same time, their absence would eliminate a key avenue for their often slanted reporting to influence public discourse and shape perceptions of the president.
Public confidence in establishment media has taken a dramatic hit. According to an October 2024 Gallup poll, Americans’ trust in the press to report events “fully, accurately and fairly” has fallen to historic lows. This collapse in credibility points to the growing divide between legacy media institutions and the general public.
The White House, meanwhile, has remained resolute in its stance. “Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated recently. “If we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable.”
White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich echoed this sentiment, describing the dispute as part of an overall issue with media bias. “This isn’t just about the Gulf of America,” Budowich said to Axios. “This is about AP weaponizing language through their stylebook to push a partisan worldview in contrast with the traditional and deeply held beliefs of many Americans and many people around the world.”
One of the key points of contention is the AP’s language guidelines, which have been criticized for enforcing progressive speech norms. These include referring to black individuals as “Black” while rejecting descriptions based on biological s*x and eliminating terms such as “anchor babies.” This editorial approach has sparked backlash from those who see it as an attempt to manipulate political discourse rather than report the news objectively.
In response to the White House’s actions, several media figures have called for an organized boycott of Trump. Former CNN anchor Jim Acosta urged news outlets to take a stand. “News outlets then must rally to the cause, by offering supportive statements to the court hearing the case, writing op-eds backing the AP, and, if necessary, refusing to cover presidential movements in solidarity, until Trump backs down,” Acosta wrote on his Substack.
He added, “News organizations in Washington should be banding together to send the message that members of the press will determine how they cover the news. Not the White House. Not the man behind the Resolute Desk, no matter how he redraws the world’s maps. The presidential Sharpie is not mightier than the pen.”
Jim Friedlich, CEO of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, proposed a more coordinated response, likening it to an alliance of news organizations. “In the Associated Press case, for example, what would happen if the AP’s erstwhile competitors, including Reuters, CNN, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, refused to attend similar White House events unless and until the AP’s access is restored?” Friedlich wrote.
“This collective action would leave the White House speaking only to media properties like Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax, favored only by its base. The loss of a larger megaphone would damage the administration’s voice and offend its considerable ego.”
Drawing a historical parallel, Friedlich cited NATO’s principle of mutual defense: “The phrase ‘an attack on one is an attack on all’ is drawn from Article 5 of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty that created NATO — another organization under criticism by President Trump. What would such a commitment to collective action, a ‘NATO for news,’ mean in practical terms?”
CNN’s Brian Stelter, known for previously dismissing Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation, highlighted internal discussions within the media industry about the possibility of a “mass boycott” of White House coverage.
“Many readers have asked me what other news outlets are doing to support The AP. Some have suggested a mass boycott is in order. Consider the possibility, however, that the Trump White House wants this fight,” Stelter wrote. He cautioned against allowing conservative outlets to fill the void.
“If the entire press pool skipped a Trump photo op in solidarity with The AP, wouldn’t the White House welcome Breitbart and One America News to take their places? My sense is that The AP’s editors and their peers at other media institutions are having backchannel conversations about what to do. ‘We have to be strategic,’ one top editor told me, and keep covering the White House without just accepting how The AP is being treated.”
As the battle between the White House and the media escalates, the question remains whether the establishment press will follow through with a coordinated boycott—or whether their need for access and viewership will ultimately override ideological considerations.
Regardless of their decision, the divide between Trump and the mainstream media appears deeper than ever. And the media has themselves to blame for this divide. Their constant need to attack the president with blatant misinformation has lost them trust among Trump himself and the American people.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
