The Associated Press has initiated a lawsuit against three officials from the Trump administration regarding access to presidential events, invoking freedom of speech in an effort to compel a federal judge to halt the obstruction of its journalists.
This legal action was taken on Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court located in Washington, D.C., just ten days after the White House began to limit the news agency’s access.
The AP contends that this matter revolves around an unconstitutional attempt by the White House to control speech—specifically by altering its terminology from the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” a change enacted by President Donald Trump through an executive order last month.
According to the AP, “The press and all citizens of the United States possess the right to select their own words and should not face government repercussions.” The lawsuit names key administration figures including White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
The agency remarked, “This deliberate assault on the AP’s editorial autonomy and its capacity to gather and disseminate news strikes at the very heart of the First Amendment. We urge the court to address this matter without delay.”
No immediate response has been provided from the administration.
Trump Specifically Mentioned AP’s Editorial Choice
While blocking the AP from attending press events at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, as well as from taking its usual place on Air Force One, the Trump administration directly referenced the AP’s choice to not fully adopt the president’s renaming.
“We’re going to keep them out until they agree that it’s the Gulf of America,” Trump stated on Tuesday.
This week, around 40 news organizations signed a letter coordinated by the White House Correspondents Association, calling on the White House to retract its policy regarding the AP.
Although AP journalists are still permitted on White House grounds, they have been excluded from the journalist “pool” that covers smaller gatherings and relays information to their audience and other reporters. The AP has participated in White House pools for over a century.
The lawsuit indicates that the AP made “numerous unsuccessful attempts” to convince the administration that its actions were unlawful. Julie Pace, AP’s senior vice president and executive editor, even traveled to Florida this week to engage with Wiles.
The AP Stylebook as a Contention Point
In a communication to the AP, Wiles mentioned that the organization was singled out due to the influential nature of its stylebook, which is considered a reference standard for many journalists, scholars, and students nationwide. She expressed hope that the name change would be acknowledged in the AP Stylebook “where American audiences are concerned.”
The Stylebook serves both international and domestic audiences. The AP has stated that it aims to ensure clarity, noting that while Gulf of Mexico will continue to be used, journalists should also acknowledge Trump’s initiative to change the name.
Furthermore, an executive order from Trump to revert the name of the United States’ tallest mountain back to Mount McKinley from Denali is recognized in the AP Stylebook. According to the AP, Trump has the authority to make such changes since the mountain lies entirely within the country he governs.
In a radio interview with Fox News’ Brian Kilmeade on Friday, Trump labeled the Associated Press as “radical left lunatics,” stating that “the Associated Press is a third-rate organization with a first-rate name.”
He asserted that “just about everybody” had accepted the Gulf of America name change, but “AP wants to be cute.” Reactions from other news organizations have varied: The New York Times and Washington Post continue to use Gulf of Mexico, while Fox News has adopted Trump’s preferred terminology. Google Maps has also adjusted to display Gulf of America for users in the United States.
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David Bauder covers media for the AP. You can follow him at http://x.com/dbauder and https://bsky.app/profile/dbauder.bsky.social
