NYT Says AP Ban Stemmed From Trump Butler Photo Rights Dispute Over 1 Iconic Image
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 14
NYT Says AP Ban Stemmed From Trump Butler Photo Rights Dispute Over 1 Iconic Image
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 14
Summary
A New York Times report said the Associated Press’s exclusion from the Oval Office and Air Force One was also driven by its refusal to grant the White House rights to Evan Vucci’s Butler assassination-attempt photo of Trump.
Two people briefed on a 2025 private lunch between Trump and network anchors told the Times White House aides linked the access ban to that image, adding a new motive beyond the public fight over “Gulf of Mexico.”
AP said it is focused on defending press freedom against government retaliation and control, while a source said the White House had not communicated any photo-rights rationale directly to the news agency.
The dispute centers on Vucci’s July 13, 2024 photograph showing Trump bloodied and raising his fist after gunfire grazed his ear in Butler, an image that spread worldwide and became one of the defining visuals of the campaign.