White House correspondents of the Associated Press were banned from entering the Oval Office and "Air Force One" indefinitely in February for the use of the term "Gulf of Mexico". According to reports by the Associated Press, The Guardian and other media outlets, US Federal District Judge Trevor McFadden appointed by President Trump ruled on Tuesday (the 8th) that the White House should lift restrictions on the AP's reporting of presidential activities, including allowing AP journalists to enter the White House Oval Office, "Air Force One", and participate in events held at the White House.

"According to the First Amendment of the (US Constitution), if the government allows some journalists to enter - whether it be the Oval Office, East Room or any other venue - then it cannot shut the door on these venues for other journalists simply because of their views," The Guardian quoted McFadden as saying.

According to the Associated Press, a spokesperson for the media responded to the ruling by saying, "We are satisfied with the court's decision."

The Associated Press reported that it is unclear whether the White House will take immediate action based on McFadden's ruling. However, the media mentioned that shortly after the ruling was issued, an Associated Press reporter and photographer were denied entry into the White House press pool covering a meeting attended by Trump.

According to Agence France-Presse, the judge postponed the implementation of his order for five days to give the White House time to respond or appeal to a higher court.

On January 20, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the "American Gulf". Afterward, the Associated Press stated that as a global news agency broadcasting news worldwide, it must ensure all audiences can easily identify geographical names and locations. The Associated Press will continue to use the name "Gulf of Mexico". As a result, Associated Press reporters have been banned from entering the White House Oval Office to attend multiple events since February 11. On February 14, the White House said it would ban Associated Press journalists from the Oval Office and "Air Force One" indefinitely. On February 21, the Associated Press filed a lawsuit against three White House officials for violating freedom of speech in the Federal District Court of the District of Columbia.

The Gulf of Mexico is a body of water located south of the United States and east of Mexico. This name has been in use since the 16th century. Before the outbreak of the Mexican-American War from 1846 to 1848, present-day states such as Texas, California, and New Mexico in the US belonged to Mexico. After the Mexican-American War, Mexico suffered significant losses and lost large territories. Some historians point out that the Mexican-American War was "the largest land grab in the history of warfare."

Source: Global Times

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