The Associated Press (AP) has sued three Trump administration officials over access to presidential events after the news agency refused to use the term “Gulf of America”
The lawsuit, filed on Friday against Trump’s administration, challenges an unconstitutional effort by the White House to control freedom of speech by mandating the news agency to change its style from the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.”
“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 news agency said. “This court should remedy it immediately.”
The Constitution’s First Amendment guarantees freedom of the press, speech, and religion, barring the government from obstructions.
Donald Trump signed an executive order in January to change the name of the body of water to the “Gulf of America.” However, the news outlet has insisted that it will continue using the gulf’s established name, citing editorial standards.
“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 AP said in its lawsuit, which names White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Leavitt on Friday said that she “feels” to be in the right position regarding the matter, while Trump on Tuesday had threatened to bar the AP from entering the US presidential office for as long as the agency continues to reject Trump’s order.
Budowich also pointed to other AP Stylebook entries that did not sit well with Trump’s administration, including the decision to capitalize "Black" but not "white" in racial references, guidance on gender-affirming medical care, and the directive not to use the term “illegal immigrants.”
Earlier this week, about 40 news organizations, including Reuters, signed onto a letter organized by the White House Correspondents Association, urging the White House to reverse its policy against the AP.
"Reuters stands with the Associated Press and other media organizations in objecting to coverage restrictions imposed by the White House on the AP because of the AP's independent editorial decisions," Reuters said on Saturday.