AP, Trump’s White House return to court over ‘Gulf of America’ dispute

The Associated Press and the Trump administration returned to court Monday for a critical hearing in the ongoing First Amendment battle over the newsgathering service’s refusal to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” ​​and the subsequent loss of access to critical White House coverage.

On his first day in office for a second term, Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” However, the Associated Press decided to continue referring to the body of water by its original name while accepting the new name Trump chose. The decision angered Trump, who ultimately blocked his reporters from entering the Oval Office and Air Force One.

The AP is now fighting to restore access, and at stake is whether the president will be allowed to determine which reporters and news organizations will be allowed to cover official events in places like the Oval Office based on his perspective.

INSIDE AP’S ‘GULF OF AMERICA’ FIRST AMENDMENT BATTLE DISPUTE WITH TRUMP’S WHITE HOUSE COMES BACK TO COURT

“If the president wants to invite certain individuals to the White House because of their political views, I think the president is allowed to do that,” Deputy Attorney General Yaakov Roth said on behalf of the administration. he said.

“The President routinely invites Republicans, not Democrats, to the Oval Office for ceremonies,” Roth continued. “No one thinks they should extend these invitations from a neutral perspective.”

Roth said “for the same reasons” the president should be allowed to “invite liked reporters, not disliked reporters,” to watch the ceremony in the Oval Office.

Roth argued that the Oval Office and Air Force One are “invitation only,” unlike the White House briefing room, which is a private workspace for journalists.

“We do not apply the principles of viewpoint neutrality when it comes to a matter of invitation,” Roth said.

Charles Tobin, the AP’s attorney, said the First Amendment “doesn’t stop at the Oval Office door” as he pushes to restore access.

“Just as the president is not above the law, the Oval Office is not a forum barred by the First Amendment from which to conduct the president’s business,” Tobin said.

Tobin has repeatedly stated that the White House press pool has a long-standing system for covering the White House, but the justices pushed back and noted that the system has changed and evolved over the years.

TRUMP SIGNED THE STATEMENT DECLARING FEBRUARY 9 as ‘GULF OF AMERICA DAY’ BEFORE SUPER BOWL: ‘ANOTHER BIG WIN’

President Donald Trump was excited about changing the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America.” (Roberto Schmidt/Getty Images)

Circuit Judges Robert Wilkins, Gregory Katsas and Neomi Rao heard arguments. An order is expected to be placed in the coming weeks.

“Today, the AP once again defended the public’s right to speak freely without government retaliation,” an AP spokesperson told Fox News Digital. “That’s what we’re doing throughout this case; we’re defending this fundamental freedom for all Americans and everyone who values ​​free speech. The First Amendment doesn’t stop at the door of the Oval Office.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Associated Press senior vice president and editor-in-chief Julie Pace told Fox News Digital before the hearing that the decision to stay in the Gulf of Mexico was largely driven by AP’s appeal to a global audience, and that consumers outside the U.S. wouldn’t necessarily abide by Trump’s name change. He said the news showed that the president had signed an executive order changing the name of this body of water.

“We’re very clear about that, we don’t intend to downplay it. And I can totally understand why a lot of people chose that name,” Pace said.

“But as a global news organization, we have to use language that has the broadest possible application,” he continued. “In this case, it’s the Gulf of Mexico.”

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS SAID THAT HE WAS BANNED FROM THE OVAL OFFICE DUE TO THE USE OF THE ‘GULF OF MEXICO’

Gulf of America hats are seen during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on April 30, 2025. (Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)

U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Trump appointee, said in April that the White House acted against the First Amendment by denying AP access because of its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America.” The Trump administration appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia paused McFadden’s decision.

Pace is hopeful the appeals court will reaffirm the lower court decision, which he called a “sound and powerful defense” of the First Amendment.

“This isn’t even about the AP. This isn’t about the press. This is about the First Amendment. And we hear regularly that conservatives and liberals and everyone in between really values ​​that protection. And what really comes down to it is whether the government can retaliate against you for the words you use,” Pace told Fox News Digital.

FEDERAL JUDGE RULED THAT THE WHITE HOUSE’S ASSOCIATED PRESS BAN IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL DUE TO ‘PERSPECTIVE DISCRIMINATION’

After taking office again, President Donald Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America.” (AP/Google Maps)

The Trump administration has previously said the president has absolute discretion over media access to the White House. The White House said no media outlet was guaranteed special access to the President in the Oval Office, Air Force One and other sensitive locations.

White House press secretary Davis Ingle previously told Fox News Digital: “President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history. The changes the Trump White House has made to the press pool are all complementary, which is why we have expanded access to new media in an unprecedented way. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt has successfully ensured that the White House press operation reflects the media habits of the American people in 2025, not 1925.”

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