Associated Press blocked from oval office after dispute over Gulf name change
"We were informed by the White House that if the Associated Press (AP) did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, AP would be barred from accessing an event in the Oval Office," said AP Executive Editor Julie Pace.
"This afternoon, AP's reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing," Pace added in a statement.
After taking office last month, Trump declared that the Gulf of Mexico would henceforth be called the "Gulf of America." Historically, this body of water, which also borders Mexico, has been known by both governments as the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump referred to it as an "indelible part of America," critical to U.S. oil production and fishing, as well as "a favorite destination for American tourism and recreation activities."
Pace expressed concern in her statement, saying, "It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism."
"Limiting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of AP's speech not only severely impedes the public's access to independent news, it plainly violates the First Amendment," she continued.
In a style note last month, the Associated Press (AP) clarified that Trump's executive order "only carries authority within the United States." AP further stated, "Mexico, as well as other countries and international bodies, do not have to recognize the name change," noting that "the Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years."
"The Associated Press will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen," the news agency said. "As a global news agency that disseminates news around the world, AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences."
The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA), which advocates for the media covering the U.S. presidency, criticized the barring of the AP, calling it "unacceptable" and urging the Trump administration to "immediately change course." WHCA head Eugene Daniels said, "The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors' decisions."
In addition to renaming the Gulf, Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the highest mountain in North America, Denali in Alaska, to Mount McKinley. The AP stated it would continue to refer to the mountain as Mount McKinley, acknowledging that "as president, Trump has the authority to change federal geographical names within the country."
The AP, the largest U.S. news agency, has been a key reference for newsrooms and corporate offices for years, with its Stylebook providing rules for correct grammar and language usage.
