The Associated Press has filed a lawsuit against three officials from the Trump administration, seeking judicial intervention regarding access to White House events. The lawsuit, submitted on a Friday afternoon in a U.S. District Court located in Washington, D.C., claims that this issue is a serious infringement on the principle of free speech and aims to challenge the 10-day restriction imposed on its reporters.
According to the AP, this legal action stems from what it describes as an unconstitutional effort by the White House to regulate how the media presents information. Specifically, the agency highlights an instance last month when President Trump issued an executive order insisting that the Gulf of Mexico be referred to as the “Gulf of America,” a change that the AP refused to adopt. The lawsuit asserts that “the press and all Americans should be free to use their own language without facing repercussions from the government.”
The lawsuit identifies key administration figures including White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. The AP argues that blocking its access to press events at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, as well as denying its reporters a seat on Air Force One, is not just retaliation for their editorial choices but a direct assault on the fundamental rights enshrined in the First Amendment. The AP called for an immediate judicial remedy to this situation.
The Trump administration announced that the AP would remain banned from press events until they agreed to comply with the president’s desired nomenclature for the Gulf. In comments made earlier this week, Trump stated, “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”
Additionally, in response to this controversy, around 40 news organizations have united in support of the AP. They collectively signed a letter facilitated by the White House Correspondents Association, urging the Trump administration to reconsider its stance and lift the restrictions placed on the Associated Press.
