The Associated Press banned from the Oval Office for refusing to use the term “Gulf of America”

During a recent official event at the Oval Office, Donald Trump barred a journalist from The Associated Press for refusing to use the term «Gulf of America», instead preferring to continue using the historical name «Gulf of Mexico».

The president was visibly offended that a media outlet refused to apply his recent decree, thus attempting to erase hundreds of years of history by replacing the name of the Gulf of Mexico.

Julie Pace, editor-in-chief of the AP, denounced a direct assault on press freedom, a fundamental right guaranteed by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

It protects freedom of expression and the press, prohibiting Trump from restricting media access or sanctioning them for their coverage of information.

This decision, officially announced during a ceremony in the Oval Office on January 20, 2025, is part of the Trump administration’s will to change certain geographical names.

Donald Trump signed the order “Restore Names That Honor American Greatness,” particularly aiming to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.

For some, the problem lies in the fact of “restoring” a name that has never been American, especially since Mexico and the international community do not recognize this decision.

To mark this new initiative, the Trump administration even established February 9 as “Gulf of America Day”.

Following its exclusion from the Oval Office, The Associated Press reminded that the Gulf of Mexico has borne this name for over 400 years and shares its borders with the United States and Mexico.

In an editorial directive published on January 23, the AP specified that, although Trump’s decree has a limited scope in the United States and is not recognized by Mexico, it will continue to use the original name while mentioning the new official name established by the Trump administration.

Following Trump’s decree renaming the Gulf of Mexico to “Gulf of America”, Google Maps and Apple Maps have applied this change in the United States. Outside the country, the maps still display Gulf of Mexico, sometimes with the new name in parentheses, which is not recognized by Mexico.