AP sues Trump White House for denying access over ‘Gulf of Mexico’ row

The Associated Press has sued the Trump administration for barring it from major presidential events over its refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America.

President Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office renaming the Gulf which directly affects usage by the federal government but holds no force outside the U.S.

The AP says its guidance recommends that its journalists and the news organizations that rely on it reflect the Gulf’s historic name, but acknowledge Trump’s desired shift in language. In its lawsuit, the AP said that the White House’s retaliation is a threat to freedom.

“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,” reads the AP’s lawsuit, filed by attorneys from the Ballard Spahr law firm. “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.”

The news agency says its journalists remained blocked from major events at the Oval Office, Air Force One, Trump’s private estate in Florida, Mar-a-Lago, and other spots where journalists with White House press credentials are routinely welcomed.

Such events as Trump’s press conference with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was off limits to AP reporters, as was Trump’s press conference at which he explained he would keep the ban on AP reporters to key events in place.

The AP serves audiences and news organizations across the globe. After it was barred, there’s been a flurry of appeals and private protests by several media outlets and diplomatic overtures to resolve the matter, even as both sides indicated they would not budge.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters, “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”

The next day, AP Executive Editor Julie Pace met with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles in Florida. While neither side commented about the meeting, the AP reiterated its intend to maintain its independent editorial process.

On Friday, in an appearance at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt acknowledged the lawsuit and said she’ll see them in court.

The AP’s lawsuit says it has “participated in the White House press pool since its creation over a century ago.” The news agency says “that has made it possible for the AP to deliver to the public timely and thorough reporting on the president almost everywhere he goes, which is information critical to the public. “

The White House Correspondents Association weighed in this week to urge that Trump and his aides reconsider. Trump-friendly Fox News has supported its stance, through the correspondents association.

The right-wing network Newsmax even issued a separate public statement of support to the New York Times. “We can understand President Trump’s frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax still supports the AP’s right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting,” Newsmax said in the statement.

But the action has been consistent with other measures taken across the new administration. Several agencies have taken steps to identify and cancel subscriptions to news organizations.
Under Defense Secretary and former Fox star Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon dislodged eight news organizations, including NPR, the New York Times, the Washington Post, CNN and NBC, from long-held work stations. The Federal Communications Commission’s new chairperson has initiated investigations of all the major television networks (save Rupert Murdoch’s Fox) and NPR.

Deputy White House Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich wrote last week that the AP’s decision on the Gulf “exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.”

“While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment,” he continued, “it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces.”

Earlier this week, Trump said, “The Associated Press, as you know, has been very, very wrong on the [2020] election, on Trump, and the treatment of Trump, and other things having to do with Trump and Republicans and conservatives.”

“They’re doing us no favors,” Trump said at the press conference held at Mar-a-Lago. “And I guess I’m not doing them any favors.” The AP was barred from that session as well.

The lawsuit filed by AP argues the ban on its journalists violates the due process clause contained in the Bill of Rights, citing a 1977 D.C. Circuit Court ruling that journalists’ “first amendment interest” in access to the White House “undoubtedly qualifies as liberty which may not be denied without due process of law under the fifth amendment.”

The White House has not responded to requests for comment about the AP’s lawsuit.