The Associated Press has pushed back after one of its journalists was barred from the White House for not referring to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” following its controversial renaming.
The AP reporter was blocked from covering two events at the White House after the news service declined to adopt the new designation.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order on his first day in office, officially renaming the Gulf “in recognition of this flourishing economic resource and its critical importance to our Nation’s economy and its people.”
Despite the change, the AP advises its reporters to use the historical name while acknowledging Trump’s designation. The updated AP Stylebook entry states: “The Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years. Refer to it by its original name while noting the new designation introduced by President Trump.”
The AP Stylebook clarifies: “Trump’s order only carries authority within the United States. Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change.”
Despite the executive order, the international community continues to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico, and the AP maintains its stance on using the historical name while acknowledging the new designation within the U.S.
AP’s Executive Editor Julie Pace strongly objected to the journalist being barred, addressing her concerns in a letter to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
In the letter, shared with NPR, Pace stated that White House chief spokesperson Karoline Leavitt had warned the AP reporter that access to the Oval Office would be restricted unless they immediately adopted Trump’s newly designated name for the Gulf.
“The actions taken by the White House were plainly intended to punish the AP for the content of its speech,” Pace wrote. “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.”
She further emphasized that the AP would “vigorously defend its constitutional rights and protest the infringement on the public’s right to independent news coverage of their government and elected officials.”
Despite the AP’s objections, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt remained firm, stating, “It is a privilege to cover this White House. Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the president of the United States questions. That’s an invitation that is given.”
She continued, “I was very upfront in my briefing on day one that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable. And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America. I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that.”
The AP journalist was barred from covering two key events: a discussion between Trump and Elon Musk regarding federal government budget cuts under Musk’s DOGE plan, and a separate event featuring a U.S. prisoner recently released by Russia.
As part of the press pool, the AP’s wire feed serves as a vital source of information for newsrooms worldwide, and its style guide remains an industry standard.
