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The Associated Press heads back to court on Monday as its First Amendment battle with the Trump administration over refusing to rename the “Gulf of Mexico” to “Gulf of America” continues.
“This isn’t about the AP and the Trump administration. This is about something that’s much bigger,” Associated Press senior vice president and executive editor Julie Pace told Fox News Digital.
Trump signed an executive order renaming the “Gulf of Mexico” to the “Gulf of America” on his first day in office for a second term. But the Associated Press decided to continue to refer to the body of water by its original name, while acknowledging the new moniker chosen by Trump. The decision irked Trump, who blasted the AP during a Mar-a-Lago press conference in February.
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“It’s called the Gulf of America now. It’s not called the Gulf of Mexico any longer. I have the right to do it,” Trump said.
“I don’t know what they’re doing, but I just say that we’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America,” Trump said.
Indeed, the White House blocked the AP from the Oval Office and Air Force One and the saga continues to play out in court nine months later. The news agency has been part of the White House press pool for decades, and Pace believes the outlet’s ability to deliver news to the world has been “weakened” by the administration’s move to limit access.
Pace said the decision to stick with the Gulf of Mexico is largely because the AP caters to a global audience, and consumers outside the United States don’t necessarily abide by Trump’s name change. She said coverage indicates the president has signed an executive order renaming that body of water.
“We’re very clear about that, we have no intention of downplaying that. And I can fully understand why many people are choosing that name,” Pace said.
“But as a global news organization, we have to use language that has the widest possible application,” she continued. “That’s Gulf of Mexico in this case.”
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U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Trump appointee, said in April that the White House acted against the First Amendment by blocking the AP’s access over its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America.” The Trump administration appealed, and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit paused McFadden’s order.
Both sides return to court on Monday for a critical hearing, and Pace is hopeful the appeals court will reaffirm the ruling at the lower court that she called a “robust and powerful defense” of the First Amendment.
“This isn’t even about the AP. This isn’t about the press. This is about the First Amendment. And we hear regularly that conservatives and liberals and everybody in between really value this protection. And really, what’s at stake here is whether the government can retaliate against you for the words you use,” Pace told Fox News Digital.
“We know that that right to free speech is something that Americans, no matter where they live, no matter what political party they are affiliated with, really do support,” Pace continued. “We were really gratified to win a lower court ruling upholding the First Amendment and really powerfully arguing that the First Amendment is vital in American society.”
Pace said the initial ruling “really outlined just how fundamental this principle of free speech is” and how “dangerous it can be if the government feels like it doesn’t have to abide by that in any circumstance.”
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The Trump administration has previously said the president has absolute discretion over media access to the White House. Pace, who covered the White House herself, said she doesn’t relish having an ongoing conflict with any administration, but she believes the AP is doing the right thing.
“We have to stand up for the principle of free speech,” Pace said. “If a government can retaliate against us, they can retaliate against any American for the words that they use.”
Pace said the AP operates in nearly 100 countries, and in some of those countries, journalists could face significant consequences for speaking the truth, so she remains dedicated to ensuring First Amendment rights are protected in the U.S. The AP also provided further guidance on the decision.
The White House doesn’t agree with the AP’s argument and has said no media outlets are guaranteed special access to cover the president in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations.
“President Trump is the most transparent and accessible President in American history. The Trump White House’s changes to the press pool have all been additive, which is why we’ve expanded access to new media in an unprecedented way. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt has successfully ensured the White House press operation reflects the media habits of the American people in 2025, not 1925,” White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told Fox News Digital.
The White House has previously said the AP is ignoring a “lawful geographic name change” and the decision is “not just divisive, but it also exposes the Associated Press’ commitment to misinformation.”
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“While their right to irresponsible and dishonest reporting is protected by the First Amendment, it does not ensure their privilege of unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One,” former White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich wrote on X earlier this year.
Trump, who appears unwilling to budge, discussed the Gulf of America name change last week at the McDonald’s Impact Summit.
“We have 92 percent of the shoreline. They have eight percent. I wouldn’t say I made a lot of friends in Mexico, but they still like me. Wasn’t that a good change? No, seriously, wasn’t that beautiful? And it was done in an instant,” Trump said.
“We changed it and everybody’s happy,” he continued. “Well, not everybody, but most people.”
Fox News Digital’s Alba Cuebas-Fantauzzi contributed to this report.
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