Axios: What's Really Going On With Trump and The Associated Press?

President Trump is restricting Associated Press (AP) reporters' access to the White House, a move top officials say is a response to the wire service's influential stylebook, which they believe has spread liberal language across mainstream media for years, according to Axios' Marc Caputo.

The decision was triggered by AP's announcement that it would continue using "Gulf of Mexico" instead of "Gulf of America," as mandated by Trump's Day 1 executive order. However, deeper grievances with AP's style choices have made it a target.

By focusing on AP, Trump is highlighting Republican and conservative criticisms that the AP Stylebook, a primary reference for most U.S. news outlets, shapes political discourse with liberal-leaning terms related to gender, immigration, race, and law enforcement.

"This goes beyond the Gulf of America," White House deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich told Axios. "AP has used its stylebook to promote a partisan perspective that clashes with the traditional beliefs held by many Americans and people worldwide."

This dispute is part of Trump's larger strategy to undermine trust in legacy media, which is already at an all-time low.

AP, widely regarded as a benchmark for neutrality, denies any bias. Lauren Easton, vice president of corporate communications, told Axios that AP is a "global, fact-based, nonpartisan news organization" serving a politically diverse range of clients worldwide.

"If our journalism weren’t factual and impartial, this wouldn’t be the case," she said. Easton emphasized that AP offers guidance based on input from members and customers, who are free to adopt it or not, and that it’s unsurprising for political groups or individuals to disagree with some entries. She stressed that the Stylebook does not follow any specific agenda.

Last week, the White House barred AP reporters from covering several events with Trump. On Friday, it announced that due to AP’s refusal to adopt "Gulf of America," its slots in the Oval Office and on Air Force One would be reassigned to other reporters. An AP reporter and photographer were prevented from boarding Air Force One for Trump’s weekend trip to Florida, though AP journalists will retain White House credentials.

In its Jan. 23 style guidance, AP explained it would use "Gulf of Mexico" as the original name while noting Trump’s new designation, prioritizing global recognition for its audience. However, AP will follow Trump’s executive order renaming Alaska’s Mount McKinley, reasoning that it falls solely within U.S. jurisdiction and Trump has the authority to alter federal geographic names.

Five days after AP’s guidance, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt held her first briefing, signaling a confrontation with legacy media. A Trump adviser, speaking anonymously, said Leavitt vowed not to lie and to call out media for misinformation, such as AP’s continued use of "Gulf of Mexico."

To spotlight his change, Trump signed an order declaring the "first ever Gulf of America Day" on Feb. 9 aboard Air Force One, en route to the Super Bowl. Two days later, an AP reporter was barred from an Oval Office event.

Trump allies, including MAGA influencer Mike Cernovich on X, have drawn attention to longstanding conservative complaints about AP’s stylebook, such as its guidance against "false balance" in transgender coverage, use of "gender-affirming care," capitalization of "Black" but not "white" for race, and avoidance of "illegal immigrant" to describe people.

Axios has taken a different approach, calling it the "Gulf of America (renamed by the U.S. from Gulf of Mexico)" for clarity, aligning with the U.S. government, Apple Maps, and Google Maps. However, Axios stated Friday that the government should not dictate editorial decisions, and news organizations like AP should report freely as they see fit.