AP sues Trump aides over Oval Office ban

Associated Press White House reporter Darlene Superville and AP photographer Ben Curtis are told by a U.S. President Donald Trump administration member that they have been denied from joining the White House press pool in West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. —KEVIN LAMARQUE/REUTERS

WASHINGTON—The Associated Press on Friday sued senior aides to President Donald Trump over a decision by the White House to restrict the news outlet’s access to the president and other officials for continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage.

The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Washington, alleges that the White House’s decision to bar AP reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One violates the US Constitution, including First Amendment protections for free speech, by trying to control the language that it uses to report the news.

“The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government,” the complaint states. In response, White House press Sec. Karoline Leavitt said: “We feel we are in the right in this position. We are going to ensure that truth and accuracy is present at that White House every single day.”

Reuters

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