White House Bars AP Reporter Over ‘Gulf of America’ Naming Dispute
The White House has barred an Associated Press (AP) reporter from an event in the Oval Office after the news agency refused to comply with the Trump administration’s directive to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America” in its reporting. The incident, which took place on Tuesday, raises serious First Amendment concerns and highlights escalating tensions between the press and the administration.
AP Reporter Denied Access Over Style Policy
According to the AP, an unnamed reporter was denied entry to an Oval Office event after the administration warned the agency that its journalists would face consequences unless they adopted the White House’s preferred terminology. The AP has maintained that as an international news organization, it must ensure that place names remain globally recognizable.
Julie Pace, senior vice president and executive editor of the AP, strongly condemned the administration’s actions, stating:
“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.”
Trump’s Executive Order and Backlash
President Donald Trump first announced his intent to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America before his January 20 inauguration. Shortly after taking office, he signed an executive order formalizing the change. The move sparked backlash both domestically and internationally, with Mexico’s president offering a sarcastic response, while many historians and geographers dismissed the decision as unlikely to influence global usage.
Beyond the Gulf renaming, Trump also reversed the name of Denali—the highest mountain in North America—back to Mount McKinley, undoing a 2015 decision by President Barack Obama to restore its Indigenous name. Unlike the Gulf of Mexico, Denali lies solely within U.S. borders, allowing Trump to legally reinstate the previous name.
Concerns Over Press Freedom
The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) swiftly condemned the administration’s decision to bar the AP journalist, calling it a direct attack on press freedom.
WHCA President Eugene Daniels stated:
“The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors’ decision.”
The press freedom group PEN America also raised concerns, warning that excluding journalists over editorial choices sets a dangerous precedent for government control of the media.
Google and Apple Update Maps
While many experts have dismissed the renaming attempt, Google Maps has already updated its platform to display “Gulf of America”, citing a longstanding policy of following official U.S. government naming decisions. Apple Maps, however, remained inconsistent, with some searches reflecting the new name while others still displayed “Gulf of Mexico.”
What’s Next?
The decision to bar a journalist over adherence to AP Stylebook policies represents an extraordinary moment in White House-press relations. With the administration doubling down on its stance against independent journalism, media organizations and press freedom advocates are expected to push back legally and politically.
As the naming dispute continues, the broader implications for government-press relations and free speech protections remain under intense scrutiny.
