Appeals court to weigh Trump administration’s punishment of AP in ‘Gulf of America’ dispute
The Associated Press returns to court on Monday to challenge the Trump administration in a First Amendment case over the news agency’s refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf on the day he returned to office in January.
The AP has continued to use the area’s original name, while acknowledging Trump’s alternate designation. The decision angered the president, who blocked AP journalists from the Oval Office and Air Force One early this year.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit hears oral arguments on Monday in a case that the AP’s top news executive says has broad implications for press freedoms.
“This isn’t about the AP and the Trump administration,” Julia Pace, the AP’s senior vice president and executive editor, told Fox News Digital. “This is about something that’s much bigger.”
The Associated Press’ argument
Pace said the AP is stuck with the original name because it serves a global audience and people outside the U.S. still largely refer to it as the Gulf of Mexico. She added that the news outlet acknowledges that Trump assigned the Gulf another name.
“We’re very clear about that, we have no intention of downplaying that,” Pace said. “And I can fully understand why many people are choosing that name.
“But as a global news organization, we have to use language that has the widest possible application,” she added. “That’s ‘Gulf of Mexico’ in this case.”
Unbiased. Straight Facts.TM
The name “Gulf of Mexico” has been in use since the 1500s and, by the 17th century, had gained widespread international recognition.
Less than half of the Gulf lies within U.S. maritime boundaries. Mexico controls a slightly larger portion of the Gulf.
Previous court decisions
A U.S. district judge ruled in April that the White House violated the First Amendment by restricting the AP’s access. The White House appealed that decision, and a higher appeals court subsequently paused the initial order.
Pace, however, said that she’s optimistic the appeals court will eventually reaffirm the federal judge’s earlier ruling.
She said the judge’s initial ruling “really outlined just how fundamental this principle of free speech is” and how “dangerous it can be if the government feels it doesn’t have to abide by that in any circumstances.”
“This isn’t even about the AP,” Pace told Fox News. “This isn’t about the press. This is about the First Amendment. And we hear regularly that conservatives and liberals and everybody in between really value this protection. And really, what’s at stake here is whether the government can retaliate against you for the words you use.
“We have to stand up for the principle of free speech,” she said. “If a government can retaliate against us, they can retaliate against any American for the words that they use.”
Pace said that the AP covers nearly 100 nations, including some in which journalists face severe punishment for reporting the truth. That, she said, is why she is dedicated to defending the First Amendment in the United States.
The Trump administration’s response
The Trump administration contends that special access to the president in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One and in other sensitive locations is a privilege, not a guarantee.
“The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America,” former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich posted on social media earlier this year. “This decision is not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.”
“While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One,” Budowich added.
The White House also defended its transparency in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle said in a statement. “The Trump White House’s changes to the press pool have all been additive, which is why we’ve expanded access to new media in an unprecedented way. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt has successfully ensured the White House operation reflects the media habits of the American people in 2025, not 1925.”
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