White House Admits Retaliation Against AP Over Refusal to Use ‘Gulf of America’

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Alex Jane
February 13, 2025
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9 minutes read

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks during a briefing at the White House, Tuesday, Jan. 28, 2025, in Washington. Evan Vucci / The Associated Press

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed Wednesday that the Trump administration retaliated against The Associated Press (AP) after the news agency refused to adopt the phrase “Gulf of America” in place of “Gulf of Mexico,” as mandated by a recent executive order from President Donald Trump.

During a tense White House briefing, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins questioned Leavitt about the administration’s decision to block an AP reporter from covering an event in the Oval Office and the Diplomatic Reception Room on Tuesday.

“Which White House official made the decision to bar the AP reporter from the Oval Office and the diplomatic reception room last night?” Collins asked. Leavitt defended the move, arguing that press access to the White House is a privilege, not a right. “It is a privilege to cover this White House,” she stated.

“And nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. That’s an invitation that is given.” Collins pressed further, highlighting concerns that the administration was punishing AP for refusing to use politically mandated language.

“But isn’t it retaliatory in nature?” Collins asked. “Because the reason that the AP was barred, which they said was because they’re not using the phrase Gulf of America, they’re using Gulf of Mexico in line with their standards.”

Karoline Leavitt and trump — (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

She continued, “And so the question here is, is this setting a precedent that this White House will retaliate against reporters who don’t use the language that you guys believe reporters should use? And how does that align with the First Amendment commitment that you were just talking about?”

Leavitt doubled down, accusing AP of spreading misinformation by adhering to the internationally recognized name. “It is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America,” Leavitt insisted. “And I’m not sure why news outlets don’t want to call it that, but that is what it is.”

She further claimed that major tech companies had recognized the name change. “And Apple has recognized that. Google has recognized that,” she added. “And it’s very important to this administration that we get that right, not just for people here at home, but also for the rest of the world.”

In response, AP defended its decision, stating that as a global news agency, it must maintain widely recognized geographic terminology. “[T]he AP must ensure that place names and geography are easily recognizable to all audiences,” the agency stated in its style guidance.

The move has sparked fresh debate over press freedoms under the Trump administration, with critics arguing that barring reporters from editorial decisions undermines the principles of a free press.