The Associated Press filed suit today against members of the Trump administration after it prohibited the news service from access to White House events because it refused to change references of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
“The White House has ordered The Associated Press to use certain words in its coverage or else face an indefinite denial of access,” the lawsuit states. “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 Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American’s freedom.”
The lawsuit was filed in federal district court in Washington, D.C., and seeks an emergency hearing to restore access.
Watch on Deadline
Read the Associated Press Trump lawsuit.
The lawsuit was filed against White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
“The AP therefore brings this action to vindicate its rights to the editorial independence guaranteed by the United States Constitution and to prevent the Executive Branch from coercing journalists to report the news using only government-approved language,” the lawsuit stated.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately return a request for comment.
The Associated Press continues to have press passes to the White House grounds, but since last week, it has been restricted from attending pools in the Oval Office, presidential press conferences and travel aboard Air Force One. The Trump administration has made clear that the reason for the ban is that the news service has continued to refer to the Gulf of Mexico, rather than the Gulf of America.
On his first day in office, Trump signed an executive order changing the name, but the AP later issued an advisory, noting that it would retain the name Gulf of Mexico as it is an international body of water, and other countries have yet to change their reference to it. The AP said that it would still acknowledge Trump’s new name.
“To date, the AP’s reporters and photographers remain banned from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other locations open not only to pool members, but also to a larger group of journalists with White House press credentials,” the AP said in the lawsuit.
RELATED: Donald Trump And The FCC Chairman Are Waging War On The News Media As Much Of The Industry Frets Over Whether To Fight Back – Analysis
The Associated Press is one of the oldest news organizations in the world, having been founded in 1846, and has been a part of the press pool since it was created early in the 20th Century.
Trump has made clear that they would continue to restrict the AP until they changed the name. The lawsuit claims violations of the First Amendment, citing previous case law over White House attempts to restrict access “based on the content of the journalists’ speech,” as well as the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.
“Defendants gave the AP no prior or written notice of, and no formal opportunity to challenge, their arbitrary determination that the AP would indefinitely lose access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other limited areas as a member of the press pool – as well as access to larger locations open to a wider group of journalists and reporters with White House press credentials – unless the AP adopted the Administration’s preferred language in its reporting,” the lawsuit stated.
RELATED: AP Will Continue To Use “Gulf Of Mexico” But Switch To “Mount McKinley” As News Service Updates Style Guidance After Trump Executive Order
The news service also claimed that the ban was “impermissible retaliation,” as “it was instituted to punish the AP for its constitutionally protected speech in ways that would chill the speech of a reasonable person of ordinary firmness.”
The White House’s action against the AP has drawn condemnation from dozens of media organizations, First Amendment groups and other outlets. This past week, Fox News and Newsmax were among the media outlets who signed on to a letter protesting the restriction on the AP.
In an email to Julie Pace, the executive editor of the AP, Wiles cited the influence that the AP’s Stylebook has, as it is adopted by a wide range of media entities. Wiles wrote that the Stylebook “has acquired has been misused, and at times weaponized, to push a divisive and partisan agenda.”
Pace met Wiles in Miami on Wednesday to discuss the issue. But according to the lawsuit, “Wiles continued to insist that the AP must revise its Stylebook to adopt Gulf of America without qualification. Wiles informed Pace that she would discuss the matter with President Trump that evening and follow up with her, but to date, the AP has not heard further from Wiles.” AP reporters and photographers were again barred from events on Thursday.
The AP is seeking an injunction that would restore its access, as well as a court declaration that the White House’s action violated the First and Fifth amendments. They also are seeking attorneys’ fees.