Letters to the Editor: Trump teed up an attack on the free press with his ‘Gulf of America’ order

To the editor: When President Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” it seemed like a crass and jingoistic but relatively harmless action. However, Trump’s true motive was revealed when the White House announced that the Associated Press would be denied access to the Oval Office and Air Force One because it declined to capitulate to Trump’s imperialistic name change.

In other words, changing the name of an international body of water was Trump’s loyalty test for American news media. He has made it clear that outlets that do not bow to his wishes will be bullied and punished by restricting their ability to gather news, which is essential to a healthy democracy.

Trump has clearly taken a page from the modern autocracy playbook. Let us hope that our courts will show common sense and justice in protecting our 1st Amendment rights to free speech and freedom of the press.

Sam Atwood, Claremont