The White House has announced that it is indefinitely prohibiting Associated Press journalists from accessing Air Force One and the Oval Office, intensifying a conflict with the US news agency over its refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.”
“The Associated Press continues to disregard the lawful geographic name change to the Gulf of America,” White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich stated in a post on X.
“While their right to engage in irresponsible and misleading reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not guarantee their privilege of unrestricted access to limited spaces, such as the Oval Office and Air Force One,” Mr. Budowich added.
He indicated that, instead of the AP, “that space will now be made available to the thousands of reporters who have been denied access to these intimate areas of the administration.”
The Associated Press continues to disregard the lawful geographic name change to the Gulf of America. This decision is not merely divisive; it also highlights the Associated Press’ dedication to misinformation. While their right to irresponsible and misleading reporting is protected…
— Taylor Budowich (@Taylor47) February 14, 2025
AP editor-in-chief Julie Pace described the administration’s position as a “clear violation” of the AP’s protected free speech rights and “a remarkable disservice to the billions of people who count on The Associated Press for impartial news.”
In a style note issued last month, AP remarked that “the Gulf of Mexico has held that name for over 400 years” and stated that Mr. Trump’s executive order “only holds authority within the boundaries of the United States.”
Arguing in favor of the name Gulf of America, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt noted on Wednesday that the US Secretary of the Interior had formally designated the new name, and that Google and Apple had updated their popular maps to reflect this change.
A depiction of how the Gulf of Mexico is currently represented on Google Maps outside of the US and Mexico
The White House Correspondents’ Association has denounced AP’s exclusion from Trump events as “outrageous.”
“The attempted government censorship of a free press risks creating a chilling effect on journalists performing their duties without fear or favor on behalf of the American public,” the group’s president Eugene Daniels stated in a release.
“This is a textbook violation not only of the First Amendment but also of the president’s own executive order regarding freedom of speech and the cessation of federal censorship.”
Mr. Budowich, the White House official, clarified that while AP would be barred from the Oval Office and the Air Force One presidential aircraft, AP journalists and photographers will maintain their credentials for the White House complex.
