Associated Press sues three White House officials over 'Gulf of America' feud

The Associated Press on Friday sued three White House officials over access to presidential events, marking the latest development in a weeks-long feud over AP's refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America."

The White House pulled AP's access to the Oval Office and Air Force One last week, after the outlet refused to change its style guide to reflect the name change. AP has maintained it will not change its policy because it is an international organization and did not want to confuse its readers.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., claims the White House's decision is unconstitutional and violates the freedom of speech. 

“The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the AP said in the lawsuit. 

The lawsuit names White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and press secretary Karoline Leavitt as defendants.

“This targeted attack on the AP’s editorial independence and ability to gather and report the news strikes at the very core of the First Amendment," the outlet said in a statement. "This court should remedy it immediately.”

The lawsuit comes after the White House Correspondents Association wrote a letter to the Trump administration, requesting that it change its policy on AP, which was signed by approximately 40 news organizations.

Although the White House pulled the outlet's access to the Oval Office and Air Force One, AP retains its credentials to the White House complex. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.