Washington, 22 February 2025 (dpa/MIA) — A news agency in the United States has sued three officials from the Trump administration over a decision to ban its reporters from coverage.

The Associated Press (AP) filed a lawsuit on Friday in Washington, citing freedom of speech.

AP has refused to align its editorial style with Trump's executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."

As a result, the White House has blocked AP journalists from a number of events and denied AP journalists access to Trump's presidential aircraft, Air Force One.

In the court filing, AP said the press, and all people in the US, had the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government.

"The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American's freedom," the filing stated.

The lawsuit names White House chief of staff Susan Wiles, deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich and press secretary Karoline Leavitt as defendants.

"AP now brings this action to vindicate its constitutional rights, restore its access to the White House, and ensure that the press remains free to report on the Administration without fear of selective, arbitrary denials of access," it said.

During an appearance at the Conservative Political Action Conference, Leavitt said she learned about the lawsuit on her way to the event.

"We feel we are in the right in this position," Leavitt told the audience.

"We're going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day," she said.

The current name of the sea inlet has been in use since the 16th century. The waters border not only US states, but also Mexico and Cuba. According to Trump's decree, the name change applies to the area up to the maritime borders of Mexico and Cuba.

At the time of the renaming, AP ruled it would refer to the gulf "by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen."