On Tuesday, the Associated Press (AP) reported that one of its journalists was excluded from an Oval Office event due to the organization’s continued use of the Gulf of Mexico’s historical name.

In a public statement, AP’s executive editor, Julie Pace, mentioned that the White House indicated their attendance would be revoked unless the outlet adopted the name “Gulf of America,” a title designated by President Trump via executive order in January. This announcement coincided with Trump’s signing of an executive order in the Oval Office, during which he urged federal agencies to collaborate with Elon Musk’s initiative for cost-efficiency, dubbed the Department of Government Efficiency.

Pace expressed her concerns, stating, “It is troubling that the Trump administration would retaliate against AP for its commitment to unbiased journalism. Restricting our access to the Oval Office based on the content of our reporting not only hinders the public’s access to independent news but also clearly infringes on the First Amendment.”

Eugene Daniels, president of the White House Correspondents’ Association, urged the Trump administration to “reconsider this decision immediately.”

“The White House should not influence how news outlets report or punish journalists for their editorial choices,” Daniels stated. He deemed the administration’s action to bar an AP reporter from a newsworthy event unacceptable.

On January 23, the AP had released editorial guidance regarding the Gulf of Mexico. In this guidance, they stated that the body of water has retained its name for over 400 years and borders both the United States and Mexico. Since Trump’s executive order only held sway within the U.S. and was not recognized by Mexico, the AP decided it would continue to refer to the Gulf by its original name while acknowledging Trump’s designation.

In addition, the AP updated its style guide to reflect Trump’s order to change the name of Denali, an Alaskan mountain, back to Mt. McKinley.

Trump’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico was signed on January 20 as part of his commitment to recognize “American greatness.” He declared February 9 as “Gulf of America Day.”