The Trump administration is being sued by the Associated Press after AP journalists were denied access to certain presidential events. The dispute stems from the White House’s demand that media outlets use “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” when referring to the body of water off the southern US border.
The lawsuit, filed in a Washington, DC, federal court, lists White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as defendants. AP argues that the administration’s decision violates the First Amendment by punishing the outlet for refusing to comply with White House directives on geographic terminology.
FREE PRESS: Based on the arguments made by the AP in its lawsuit against the White House, RT and Pravda have the same right to be in the Oval Office as the AP. For that matter so do I, should I sue? pic.twitter.com/zYJaOqgtm5
— @amuse (@amuse) February 22, 2025
Leavitt has previously stated that media organizations promoting “falsehoods” will face consequences. Budowich reinforced that position, claiming AP’s refusal to acknowledge the name change was part of a pattern of misinformation.
The White House has defended its position, insisting that AP reporters remain credentialed to cover general White House events but will not be given priority access to locations such as the Oval Office or Air Force One until they use the new terminology.
Associated Press sues White House officials in bid to regain access to press pool https://t.co/xt9IfhIGW6
— WSJ Business News (@WSJbusiness) February 21, 2025
The AP’s legal team is calling for an emergency hearing to challenge the restrictions. The lawsuit argues that limiting access based on editorial decisions constitutes government overreach.
With the lawsuit moving forward, legal experts suggest the case could define how far the White House can go in controlling media access to official events.
