The White House Correspondents' Association (WHCA) has condemned the Trump administration for barring an Associated Press (AP) reporter from a presidential event over the news agency’s refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico”.
The White House on Tuesday denied access to an AP journalist at an Oval Office event with President Donald Trump, following the news agency’s decision to continue referring to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico despite Trump’s recent executive order to rename it.
📢 “The White House cannot dictate how news organizations report the news, nor should it penalize working journalists because it is unhappy with their editors' decisions,” said WHCA President Eugene Daniels in a statement on X.
Daniels called the move “unacceptable”, warning that press freedom should not be compromised based on editorial decisions.
AP Responds to White House Ban
AP Executive Editor Julie Pace said the White House made it clear that the reporter would only be allowed access if the agency complied with Trump’s order.
📢 "It is alarming that the Trump administration would punish AP for its independent journalism," Pace said, calling the action a violation of the First Amendment.
The AP Stylebook states that the Gulf of Mexico has held its name for over 400 years, and the agency will continue to use it while acknowledging Trump’s renaming decision.
White House, Mexico Yet to Respond
The White House has not commented on the WHCA and AP’s statements. Mexico’s foreign ministry also did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum previously joked in January that if Trump renamed the Gulf of Mexico, North America could be renamed “Mexican America”, referencing historic maps of the region.
Most global news agencies, including Reuters, continue to refer to the body of water as the Gulf of Mexico, though some include context on Trump's executive order when relevant.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to en...
Iran has warned it will retaliate against any future U.S. attacks, saying American energy interests and infrastructure across the Gulf could become...
Baku Climate Action Week (BCAW) 2026 has begun in Azerbaijan’s capital, bringing together government representatives, business leaders, inves...
An eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Anak Krakatau has disrupted air travel, school activities and fishing operations, with hundreds of passengers stranded at Jakarta’s main airport on Sunday.
At least five people were killed and five others injured when an Amazon Prime Air cargo plane overran a runway and crashed while landing at Miami International Airport on Sunday, 6 September, local officials said.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said on Sunday that the United States must recognise that the “rules of the game” in its war against Iran had changed “before it is too late”, a day after Washington struck several Iranian tankers in the Gulf.
Two Greek military pilots were killed on Saturday when an F-4 Phantom fighter jet crashed during an air show at Tanagra air base, north of Athens, officials said.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
U.S. special envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff have held talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on Sunday on efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine.
A battle over the future of the European Union’s diplomatic service is deepening divisions over who controls the bloc’s foreign policy, as EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas pushes back against plans to overhaul her service.
The Strait of Hormuz is moving into a more complicated stage of the U.S.-Iran war. Tehran says it will establish a new restricted maritime zone around the waterway, while Iran and Oman are preparing to formalise a separate shipping route intended to restore at least part of commercial traffic.
The European Union is preparing to boost investment in Greenland, as Brussels moves to deepen political and economic ties with the Arctic territory amid growing strategic competition involving the U.S., Russia and China.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has said a newly commissioned destroyer will become part of the country's nuclear response system, capable of delivering what he described as “annihilating retaliatory strikes”.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment