The Associated Press sued three Trump administration officials Friday over access to presidential events, citing freedom of speech in asking a federal judge to stop . 鈥淲e鈥檒l see them in court,鈥� the White House press secretary said in response.
The lawsuit was filed Friday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., 10 days after the White House began restricting access to the news agency. It was assigned to U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump nominee.
The AP says its case is about an unconstitutional effort by the White House to control speech 鈥� in this case from the Gulf of Mexico to the 鈥淕ulf of America,鈥� as President Donald Trump did last month with an executive order.
鈥淭he press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,鈥� the AP said in its lawsuit, which names White House chief of staff Susan Wiles, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
鈥淭his targeted attack on the AP鈥檚 editorial independence and ability to gather and report the news strikes at the very core of the First Amendment,鈥� the news agency said. 鈥淭his court should remedy it immediately.鈥� guarantees freedom of the press, speech and religion and bars the government from obstructing any of them.
Leavitt said that she learned about the lawsuit Friday while driving from the White House to an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
鈥淚 wanted to get the White House counsel on the phone before taking this stage to see what I can and cannot say but, look, we feel we are in the right in this position,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e're going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day.鈥�
Trump directly cited AP's editorial decision
In stopping the AP from attending press events at the White House and Mar-a-Lago, or flying on Air Force One in the agency鈥檚 customary spot, the Trump team directly cited the AP鈥檚 decision not to fully follow the president鈥檚 renaming.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it鈥檚 the Gulf of America,鈥� .
This week, about 40 news organizations signed onto a letter organized by the White House Correspondents Association, urging the White House to reverse its policy against the AP. They included outlets like Fox News Channel and Newsmax, where many of the on-air commentators are Trump supporters.
鈥淲e can understand President Trump's frustration because the media has often been unfair to him, but Newsmax still supports AP's right, as a private organization, to use the language it wants to use in its reporting,鈥� Newsmax said in a statement. 鈥淲e fear a future administration may not like something Newsmax writes and seek to ban us.鈥�
While AP journalists have still been allowed on White House grounds, they have been kept out of of journalists that cover events in smaller spaces and report back to its readers and other reporters. The AP has been part of White House pools for more than a century.
The lawsuit said the AP had made 鈥渟everal unsuccessful efforts鈥� to persuade the administration that its conduct was unlawful. Julie Pace, AP鈥檚 senior vice president and executive editor, traveled to Florida this week to meet with Wiles.
The AP Stylebook is a sticking point
In an email to AP, Wiles said the news organization was targeted because its influential stylebook is used as a standard by many journalists, scholars and students across the country, the lawsuit said. She said the administration was hopeful the name change would be reflected in the AP Stylebook 鈥渨here American audiences are concerned.鈥�
The Stylebook is used by international audiences, as well as those within the United States. The AP has said that its guidance was offered to promote clarity, and that even though Gulf of Mexico will continue to be used, journalists should also note Trump鈥檚 action to change the name.
A Trump executive order to change the name of the United States' largest mountain back to Mount McKinley from Denali is being recognized by the AP Stylebook. Trump has the authority to do so because the mountain is completely within the country he oversees, AP has said.
Wiles also wrote to the AP that its stylebook's influence 鈥渉as been misused, and at times weaponized, to push a divisive and partisan agenda," according to the lawsuit.
In an Axios story last week, Budowich noted other AP Stylebook entries that have rankled some conservatives. They include the decision to in racial references, guidance on and direction not to use the term 鈥� .鈥�
In a radio interview with Fox News' Brian Kilmeade on Friday, Trump referred to the Associated Press as 鈥渞adical left lunatics.鈥� He said that 鈥淎ssociated Press is a third-rate outfit with a first-rate name.鈥�
He said 鈥渏ust about everybody鈥� accepted the Gulf of America name change but 鈥淎P wants to be cute.鈥� There has been a mixed response from other news organizations: The New York Times and Washington Post are continuing to use Gulf of Mexico, while Fox News has switched to Trump's choice. Google Maps is using Gulf of America for users in the United States.
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Associated Press correspondents Michael Kunzelman and Adriana Gomez Licon in Washington contributed to this report. David Bauder writes about media for the AP. Follow him at and
David Bauder, The Associated Press
