Rabia Iclal Turan
22 February 2025•Update: 22 February 2025
WASHINGTON
The Associated Press (AP) on Friday sued three Trump administration officials after journalists from the news organization were barred from White House events, the Oval Office and Air Force One for not using "Gulf of America" in its reporting.
The lawsuit, filed in the US District Court in Washington, argued that the ban violates the First Amendment and the Fifth Amendment’s due process clause in the US Constitution. The AP is seeking an emergency hearing and a court order declaring the ban unconstitutional.
"The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government. The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American’s freedom," AP lawyers stated in the lawsuit.
The suit named White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich as defendants.
The White House move followed AP’s continued use of “Gulf of Mexico” in its reporting, despite President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming it “Gulf of America.”
Trump defended the decision Tuesday, saying that he would not allow The Associated Press back in the Oval Office until "they agree that it's the Gulf of America".
"The Associated Press, as you know, has been very, very wrong on the election, on Trump, and the treatment of Trump, and other things having to do with Trump and Republicans and conservatives,” Trump said.
"They're doing us no favors, and I guess I'm not doing them any favors. That's the way life works.”
While the White House argues that AP remains credentialed like other media outlets, AP argues that barring its reporters from the "press pool" coverage, such as presidential questions and answers at the Oval Office, denies access to billions relying on its reporting.
The agency earlier explained in its stylebook that it did not adopt Trump’s name change.
"Trump’s order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, along with other countries and international bodies, is not obligated to recognize the name change," it said.
