On February 21, filed a lawsuit against three officials of the Donald Trump administration, accusing the White House of violating freedom of speech. This was reported by AP, according to UNN.
Details
The agency is demanding that its journalists' access to presidential events be restored, claiming that the government is violating freedom of speech by blocking their activities.
The lawsuit was filed ten days after the White House began restricting AP's information access. The case was assigned to U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump.
The agency argues that its case concerns an unconstitutional attempt by the White House to control freedom of speech. It is about the AP's refusal to change its name from “Gulf of Mexico” to “American Gulf.
“The press and all people in the United States have a right to choose their own words and not be repressed by the government,” the AP lawsuit says, naming White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budovich, and Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt.
Currently, the AP still has access to the White House, but is not allowed to join the pool of journalists covering the events. According to the agency, it has made several attempts to resolve the situation with the administration, but to no avail.
In particular, about 40 news organizations, including Fox News Channel and Newsmax, signed a letter in support of the AP, calling on the White House to reconsider its policy toward the agency.
Recall
Donald Trump has signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The new name is intended to emphasize the region's role in US history and economy and will be reflected on all official maps.