The AP filed the lawsuit in response to the White House’s restricting its press access after it declined to adopt the name ‘Gulf of America.’
WASHINGTON—The Associated Press (AP) news wire service is suing several members of President Donald Trump’s press team after being removed from an exclusive group of journalists with close access to the president.
For decades, the AP was a permanent part of the White House press pool, a 13-member group of print and photo journalists who are allowed in areas with security and space restrictions, like the Oval Office and Air Force One.
In February, the news outlet was removed from the press pool after it decided to continue using the Gulf of Mexico in its influential style guide after Trump issued an order renaming the body of water to the “Gulf of America.”
The AP said it needs to use both names as it is an international publication, and the rest of the world still refers to the area as the Gulf of Mexico.
The AP also alleges that its access to other White House events—generally open to credentialed journalists of other media outlets—has also been limited.
The AP decision was part of a broader set of significant changes instituted by the White House concerning the media, such as adding seats in the briefing room for independent media.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also announced on Feb. 25 that Trump’s press team will determine membership in the pool, instead of the White House Correspondents’ Association, and will grant access to different outlets on a rotating basis.
The AP’s suit, filed on Feb. 21, alleges that Trump’s team violated its First Amendment rights by retaliating after it refused to use “Gulf of America.” It said that the White House’s actions were an unconstitutional attempt to control speech.
The lawsuit also alleges that AP’s Fifth Amendment due process rights were violated because it was given no notice before it was kicked out, and no way to appeal against the decision.
The case is ongoing but the AP encountered an initial loss on Feb. 24 when U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden declined the outlet’s emergency bid to be reinstated into the White House press pool.
By Stacy Robinson, Jackson Richman and Sam Dorman
