The Associated Press sued three White House officials on Friday (February 21) for alleged infringement of freedom of speech, as the media outlet was barred from entering the Oval Office and the US presidential plane “Air Force One” for refusing to use the new geographical name “Gulf of America.”
The lawsuit filed by the Associated Press in the federal district court in Washington, DC on Friday afternoon claimed that the media outlet had been restricted from access for the past ten days by the White House, preventing its journalists from entering the president’s office and “Air Force One” because it refused to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” in its “AP Stylebook” based on President Trump’s executive order.
The “AP Stylebook” is the language standard for writing news releases by the Associated Press and has become a global English writing standard due to its professionalism and authority. The Associated Press mentioned in the style guide that when referring to relevant water areas, it would continue to use its original name while acknowledging Trump’s chosen new name.
The Associated Press alleged in the lawsuit that the White House’s actions amounted to controlling speech and thereby violated the freedom of speech granted to Americans by the US Constitution.
The lawsuit stated, “The American news industry and everyone have the right to choose their own speech without fear of government retaliation.”
“The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such control and retaliation by the government is a threat to the freedom of every American,” the Associated Press alleged.
The lawsuit names White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, and White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt as defendants.
Leavitt responded to the Associated Press lawsuit on Friday at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in Maryland, stating, “We will meet them in court.”
“We believe we are on the right side,” she said. “We aim to ensure that the information coming out of the White House is truthful and accurate every day.”