America’s identity is deeply rooted in the names we give to our landmarks, territories, and natural features. From sea to shining sea, the names that grace our maps reflect our history, our values, and our sovereignty as a nation.

But who really gets to decide what we call these places? It’s a question that cuts to the heart of executive power and national identity.

President Trump made history when he renamed the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America.” Google even changed it on its maps. Yet liberal media outlet, AP News, refuses to do so. So, the White House revoked its access.

As expected, the AP sued to regain access to the Trump White House. Why? To just spread more false narratives against this conservative president.

A federal judge on Monday refused to immediately order the White House to restore The Associated Press’ access to presidential events after the news organization was barred for continuing to use “Gulf of Mexico” instead of “Gulf of America.” U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden denied AP’s request for a temporary restraining order, ruling the news agency had not demonstrated it had suffered “irreparable harm” from the two-week-old ban.

From ‘CNN’:

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted a statement on X that said the administration stands by its decision to limit AP’s access to the president. “As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right,” it said.

Executive Authority vs. Press Access

The Trump administration has been unequivocal about its position, with Trump himself stating, “We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”

The Justice Department argued that the president has discretion over who gets special access to him. DOJ attorney Brian Hudak emphasized during Monday’s hearing that “the president can choose who to speak with” and that no news organization has a constitutional right to privileged access.

Judicial Skepticism Despite Ruling

Despite ruling against immediate relief, Judge McFadden expressed skepticism about the ban’s legality, describing it as “discriminatory” and “problematic.” He scheduled a hearing for March 20 to further consider AP’s request for a preliminary injunction.

McFadden gave several reasons for denying immediate relief, including that AP “can get access to the same information” from pool notes provided to all members of the White House Correspondents’ Association.

He also cited the organization’s delay in bringing the lawsuit as evidence it wasn’t suffering urgent harm.

The AP sued three Trump officials – White House chief of staff Susan Wiles, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich, and press secretary Karoline Leavitt – arguing the ban violates both the First Amendment and the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment.

Press Privilege over Presidential Power?

Charles Tobin, an attorney representing the AP, told the court that the White House was impermissibly trying to force the news organization to adopt “official government vocabulary” by limiting its access.

He argued the administration “picked on AP and nobody else” because the organization publishes a widely used stylebook.

What’s notable is that several news outlets across the political spectrum have publicly supported the AP’s position. The New York Times, NBC, the Wall Street Journal, Fox News, Newsmax, and CNN all signed a joint letter urging the White House to immediately lift the ban.

The case echoes a similar dispute during Trump’s first term when the White House revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta’s press pass. In that instance, a federal judge quickly sided with CNN on due process grounds, leading the administration to restore Acosta’s access.

Key Takeaways:

• A federal judge declined to immediately restore AP’s White House access.
• The White House maintains that special press access is a “privilege, not a right.”
• AP, a liberal-leaning outlet, refuses to acknowledge “Gulf of America.”

Sources: CNN, AP News, NBC News