White House Bans AP Journalists Over Gulf of America Naming Dispute

NEW YORK (AP) — The White House defended its decision Wednesday to block Associated Press journalists from attending presidential events due to the news agency’s refusal to adopt President Donald Trump‘s new name for the Gulf of Mexico, which he has decreed should be referred to as the Gulf of America.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated at a briefing that news organizations not using the preferred nomenclature were peddling “lies” and asserted the administration would continue to restrict AP reporters from attending critical events, including a swearing-in ceremony for Tulsi Gabbard as the Director of National Intelligence.

On Tuesday, AP reporters were denied entry to both the Oval Office and the White House’s Diplomatic Reception Room. The agency’s Stylebook retains the designation Gulf of Mexico, reflecting a longstanding recognition of the body’s geographical identity, which includes international borders. While AP acknowledges Trump’s name change, it maintains that recognizable names are essential for global understanding.

Leavitt challenged the media during her remarks, claiming, “It is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America, and I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that.” This claim contradicts historical usage, as the Gulf has been known as the Gulf of Mexico for centuries.

Julie Pace, AP’s senior vice president and executive editor, expressed the agency’s concerns in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, emphasizing that the actions taken against AP were aimed at punishing an organization for its editorial decisions and were a violation of First Amendment rights. “It is among the most basic tenets of the First Amendment that the government cannot retaliate against the public or the press for what they say,” Pace wrote.

During the same briefing, Leavitt maintained that the White House reserves the right to control who attends its events, stating, “Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions.”

Critics, including attorney Floyd Abrams and the Inter American Press Association, condemned the White House’s barriers to press coverage, characterizing them as censorship that undermines democratic principles.

The fallout from this naming dispute extended beyond the White House when it was revealed that Google has begun reflecting Trump’s preferred terminology in its mapping services for U.S. users, while international directories still recognize the Gulf of Mexico. Amid this controversy, The New York Times and The Washington Post have reiterated their commitment to using Gulf of Mexico in their reporting, contending that the name change could cause confusion among global audiences.

In a further example of the administration’s contentious relationship with the press, Trump has also ordered that Mount Denali, which was renamed by President Barack Obama, revert to its former name, Mount McKinley. The AP indicated that it would respect Trump’s authority to rename geographical features under U.S. jurisdiction.