Friends,
In the past, I’ve been a vocal supporter of the freedom of the global press. In 2021, I introduced bipartisan legislation with Senator Lindsey Graham — the International Press Freedom Act — that would take measures to protect journalists around the world and those seeking refuge in the U.S. Last year, I co-sponsored a resolution recognizing the importance of press freedom and highlighting the growing threats to that freedom worldwide. These are critical issues and ones I’m proud to advocate for in the Senate.
Right now, we need to turn our attention to the freedom of the press here at home.
It’s in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, and a cornerstone of our democracy — the government cannot and must not interfere with the publishing and reporting of information to the American people.
Court cases have backed up and indeed strengthened press protections over the years, helping to protect against corruption and abuse of power and to allow the public to make informed decisions.
But this week, the Trump Administration actually barred an Associated Press journalist from accessing an Oval Office event as punishment for not updating their editorial guide to reflect Trump’s name change of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America:
