President Donald Trump is celebrating a legal victory after a federal appeals court ruled that the White House can temporarily restrict access to the Associated Press (AP) following a dispute over the naming of the “Gulf of America.”
The controversy erupted after the AP refused to adopt the administration’s preferred term for the Gulf of Mexico, a change mandated by an executive order issued earlier this year. The Trump administration argued that the AP’s defiance of the terminology directive justified limiting the agency’s presence at certain White House events.
In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court overturned a previous ruling that had required continued access, allowing the administration to exclude AP reporters from non-public spaces such as the Oval Office, Air Force One, and Mar-a-Lago. The court emphasized that while general press briefings must remain open, access to restricted or invite-only areas is at the discretion of the executive branch.
Trump called the ruling a “big win” and took to social media to criticize what he described as biased reporting by legacy media outlets. He reiterated his administration’s plan to prioritize access for newer media platforms over traditional wire services.
The AP expressed disappointment with the outcome and confirmed it is reviewing its legal options. Under new White House guidelines, only one wire service will be granted pool access on any given day—a shift that significantly reduces visibility for outlets like the AP, Reuters, and Bloomberg.
The case has reignited concerns about press freedom and the boundaries of executive authority, as critics argue the move reflects a broader effort to suppress dissenting voices in the media. The administration, however, maintains that the changes reflect a rebalancing of media access in line with evolving public trust and media consumption trends.