AP Sues Trump Administration Over Press Access Ban

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Associated Press has filed a lawsuit against three members of the Trump administration, asserting that its reporters have been wrongfully banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One. This legal action follows a ban implemented after the AP continued to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its original name despite President Donald Trump’s insistence on calling it the Gulf of America.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court on February 21, 2025, names White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich as defendants. The AP claims the ban infringes upon their First Amendment rights and the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.

The circumstances of the ban reportedly began on February 11 when AP reporters were informed that access would be restricted unless the news organization complied with the rebranding demands. The situation escalated on February 14, when the White House publicly announced that AP journalists were indefinitely barred from certain ‘limited spaces’ within the White House.

The AP maintains that it must adhere to standards of geographical accuracy in its reporting, stating in its guidelines that it will refer to locations by names that are widely recognized internationally. ‘We acknowledge the new name President Trump has chosen,’ the AP noted, ‘but our duty is to provide factual information that is clear to our audiences.’

In a communication dated February 18, Wiles indicated that the AP was specifically being targeted due to its Stylebook, which serves as a widely accepted reference for writing and editing. Her message concluded with a suggestion that if the AP adjusted its terminology regarding the Gulf, access to the White House could be restored.

In response to the legal filing, a statement from the AP articulated, ‘The press and all Americans have the right to choose their own words without retaliation from the government. This ban poses a threat to our freedom of speech and the foundational principles of journalism.’

The AP’s lawsuit seeks judicial relief to declare the ban unconstitutional and to reinstate its reporters’ access to the presidential areas in question. This case raises significant questions about press freedoms and the accountability of governmental authority in dictating the language used by the media.