The Associated Press (AP) has been blocked from the Oval Office for refusing to use the White House’s new term, “Gulf of America,” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.”
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace revealed that the White House had pressured the outlet earlier in the day to update its style guide and adopt “Gulf of America” following President Trump’s recent executive order renaming the body of water. When AP declined, the White House prevented one of its journalists from attending Trump’s executive order signing later that day.
“It is deeply concerning that the Trump administration is retaliating against AP for its independent journalism,” Pace said in a statement. “Restricting our access to the Oval Office based on our editorial choices not only limits the public’s ability to receive independent news but also clearly violates the First Amendment.”
When asked which official had made the decision to bar the AP reporter, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move.
“Covering this White House is a privilege,” Leavitt stated on Wednesday. “No one has an automatic right to enter the Oval Office and question the president. It’s an invitation, and there are many outlets on this campus that don’t get that privilege every day.”
While it is common practice for a small group of pool reporters to be granted access to Oval Office events, barring a journalist over the administration’s preferred terminology is highly unusual.
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a nonprofit that defends First Amendment protections, called the White House’s actions an “alarming attack on press freedom.”
“Punishing journalists for refusing to adopt government-mandated terminology is unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination,” the organization stated. “President Trump has the authority to dictate how the U.S. government refers to the Gulf, but he cannot penalize a news outlet for using a different name.”
Leavitt doubled down on the administration’s stance, saying, “The fact is, the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America. I’m not sure why news outlets refuse to acknowledge that, but that’s the reality. It’s crucial for this administration to ensure accuracy, not just for Americans but for the global community.”
The AP’s style guide, widely followed by newsrooms across the country, issued an update on January 23—two days after Trump’s executive order—clarifying that the name change is only recognized within the U.S. and holds no international authority.
“As a global news organization, AP must use place names that are widely recognizable to all audiences,” the guidance explained.
In addition to renaming the Gulf of Mexico, Trump’s executive order also reinstated “Mount McKinley” as the official name for North America’s tallest peak, reversing its designation as “Denali.” The AP stated that it would follow suit in its reporting, noting that since the mountain lies solely within the U.S., Trump has the authority to make the change.