In an unprecedented clash between the press and the presidency, a major news organization is taking legal action against the Trump administration over what it calls unconstitutional restrictions on press access. The dispute centers on an unusual demand: the White House’s insistence that media outlets adopt “Gulf of America” instead of the traditional “Gulf of Mexico” in their reporting.
Legal challenge over press restrictions
The Associated Press filed a federal lawsuit on Friday in Washington, D.C., targeting three senior Trump administration officials: Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The legal action comes after the administration imposed a 10-day ban on AP journalists from covering presidential events, traveling on Air Force One, and accessing both the White House and Mar-a-Lago.
The ban was explicitly linked to the AP’s continued use of “Gulf of Mexico” in its reporting, defying President Trump’s executive order mandating the name change to “Gulf of America.” Trump made his position clear on Tuesday, stating, “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”
First Amendment concerns
In its legal filing, the AP argues that the administration’s actions represent an unconstitutional attempt to control speech. “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 lawsuit states. The news agency further emphasized that this “targeted attack on the AP’s editorial independence and ability to gather and report the news strikes at the very core of the First Amendment.”
The conflict has drawn widespread attention within the media community, with approximately 40 news organizations signing a White House Correspondents Association letter urging the administration to reverse its stance against the AP.
The full details of the legal complaint can be reviewed in the official court filing.
