"Media Sowing Discord" Trump Starts War Again... Favoritism Toward Fox News

AP Reporter Banned and CNN Mocked Amid "American Gulf" Dispute
Fox News Receives Biden's Letter and First Exclusive Oval Office Interview Opportunity

"I believe no one in history has faced more negative coverage than I have." (Donald Trump, President of the United States·photo)

President Trump started a war with progressive mainstream media even before the 100-day honeymoon period of his second administration had passed. Conversely, he continues to show favoritism toward certain media outlets, such as granting Fox News, a conservative-leaning network, his first exclusive interview opportunity and handing over a letter left by his predecessor, President Joe Biden.

On the 18th (local time), in an interview scheduled to air at 9 p.m. with Fox News, President Trump appeared jointly for the first time with Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, and criticized the mainstream media for "sowing discord" about their relationship.

In a preview clip released beforehand, he said, "They (mainstream media and experts) always do that (sow discord)," adding, "In fact, Elon called me and said, 'They are trying to sow discord between us,' and I said, 'Definitely so.'" Trump also mocked, "They report things like 'Breaking news: Donald Trump has transferred control of the presidency to Elon Musk, and President Musk will attend the cabinet meeting at 8 p.m. tonight,'" calling it "too obvious" and "too pathetic."

The news agency most at odds with the White House is the Associated Press (AP). The White House banned an AP reporter from entering the Oval Office and Air Force One after the reporter refused to use the term "American Gulf" instead of "Gulf of Mexico." Trump signed an executive order changing the name from Gulf of Mexico to American Gulf after taking office, and U.S. IT companies Google and Apple changed the place name accordingly. However, AP announced its position that it could not change the centuries-old name "Gulf of Mexico."

White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt commented on the restriction of the AP reporter's access to the Oval Office, saying, "It is true that the waters near the coast of Louisiana are called the 'American Gulf,'" and added, "Google and Apple have adopted it, so I don't understand why the media refuses to call it that." In response, AP countered through an article, stating, "The White House's attempt to directly regulate the language used by independent media and the resulting punitive measures are seen as moves that further escalate the ongoing conflict between President Trump and the press."

There is also analysis that AP's stylebook, considered a "textbook" for American media outlets, is perceived as problematic. The American political media Axios reported on the 17th (local time) that Republicans and conservatives have complaints that AP's stylebook prefers progressive terms related to gender, immigration, race, and law enforcement.

The White House is also in conflict with the American broadcaster CNN. President Trump openly mocked Kaitlan Collins, CNN's 9 p.m. news anchor who attended a press conference, saying, "Who watches CNN?" and "CNN is Biden's friend. They have lost trust." He immediately took the next question. Collins is CNN's youngest White House correspondent ever and was once called a "Trump sniper." She also engaged in a heated exchange with spokesperson Leavitt regarding the AP reporter's restricted access to the Oval Office.

Trump was also known as a president without a honeymoon period during his first administration. The honeymoon in American politics refers to the practice of Congress and the media showing leniency for 100 days after a new president takes office, allowing for some mistakes early on. However, this custom apparently did not apply to President Trump. According to Gallup polls, Trump's approval rating during his first 100 days was 45%, significantly lower than former President Barack Obama's 68% and former President George W. Bush's 57% during the same period. At that time, The New York Times criticized Trump for staying mostly at his Mar-a-Lago estate compared to his predecessors, who frequently made site visits during their honeymoon periods.

On the other hand, President Trump's affection for Fox News remains consistent. Following White House tradition, Trump handed over a letter left in the White House desk drawer by former President Joe Biden to Fox News reporter Peter Doocy. Doocy became famous after Biden, unaware his microphone was on, called him a "Son of a bxxxx." Trump's first exclusive Oval Office interview after taking office was also conducted with Fox News.