AP sues White House staff over press access limits
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The White House has imposed the restrictions after AP refused to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.”
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The Associated Press logo is shown at the entrance to the news organization's office in New York on Thursday, July 13, 2023. (AP)
The Associated Press (AP), one of the world’s oldest news agencies, has filed a lawsuit against three senior White House officials, accusing them of restricting press access in retaliation for its editorial decisions.
The White House imposed the restrictions after AP refused to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.” The complaint, submitted Friday to the US District Court in Washington, D.C., alleges that AP journalists were barred from covering presidential events at the White House, Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence, and from traveling on Air Force One.
“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,” AP stated in its lawsuit, which names White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt as defendants.
First Amendment violation
The lawsuit argues that these actions violate both due process and the First Amendment, stating, “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. This court should remedy it immediately.”
The dispute began on January 20 when President Donald Trump issued an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” AP declined to alter its style guide, maintaining that it would continue using the internationally recognized name.
“As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, the AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences,” the agency stated last month.
Following AP’s refusal, the White House informed AP’s presidential correspondent Zeke Miller that the outlet would be excluded from certain press areas unless it complied. Budowich later posted on X that AP was “indefinitely barred” from the Oval Office and Air Force One.
In an email to AP, Wiles claimed the agency had “misused” its influence to push a “divisive and partisan agenda.” Leavitt defended the decision, stating, “We’re going to ensure that truth and accuracy are present at the White House every single day.”
Trump, who has frequently accused the media of bias, reinforced the decision earlier this week, telling reporters, “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”
Several major news organizations—including CNN, Fox News, The New York Times, and The Washington Post—have signed a letter urging the White House to lift the restrictions.
Read more: Mexico warns Google over renaming Gulf of Mexico to 'Gulf of America'
