Associated Press Sues White House Over Restrictions Following ‘Gulf of America’ Dispute
The Associated Press (AP), one of the world’s leading news agencies, has filed a lawsuit against three senior White House officials. The suit alleges violations of press freedoms due to restrictions imposed on AP reporters covering President Donald Trump’s activities.
The White House placed these restrictions after AP refused to adopt the term ‘Gulf of America’ instead of ‘Gulf of Mexico’. The complaint was submitted to the US District Court in Washington, DC.
AP, a member of the presidential press pool for over a century, has been blocked from attending certain events. This includes press conferences at the White House and Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, as well as travel on Air Force One.
“The right to choose one’s words without government retaliation is fundamental,” AP stated in its lawsuit. The defendants named are White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The lawsuit argues that these actions target AP’s editorial independence and news-gathering abilities, violating the First Amendment. It urges the court to intervene promptly.
On January 20, President Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as ‘Gulf of America’. AP refused to amend its style guide, maintaining it would continue using the internationally recognized name.
“As a global news agency, AP must use place names recognizable worldwide,” the agency stated last month. Following this refusal, the White House informed AP’s presidential correspondent Zeke Miller that AP would be barred from certain press areas unless it complied with Trump’s order.