Historian Heather Cox Richardson warned journalist Katie Couric that The Associated Press (AP) adopting the term “Gulf of America” could mark a significant step toward authoritarianism.
During a Thursday podcast on Couric’s YouTube channel, Richardson reacted to the AP being barred from the Oval Office earlier in the week after refusing to use the Trump administration’s newly designated name for the body of water previously known as the Gulf of Mexico. She claimed that the move “speaks … to the rise of authoritarians” and urged the AP to resist compliance.
“That idea that reporters have to use the Gulf of America when it has been called the Gulf of Mexico since at least the 1550s is, I think, a way to say, ‘You’re in my reality now, and you have to bow to my reality,’” Richardson said. “And it’s a terribly slippery slope because once you start to say, ‘Okay, I’ll let you get away with that,’ it’s harder the next time to say no.”
AP senior vice president and executive director Julie Pace condemned the Trump administration’s restrictions, calling them a “deeply troubling escalation” and a “plain violation of the First Amendment.” She claimed the outlet had been barred from multiple presidential events, calling it “an incredible disservice” to those relying on AP for nonpartisan news.
However, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the decision during a briefing on Wednesday, emphasizing that the administration would hold media outlets accountable for spreading misinformation.
“I was very upfront in my briefing on day one that if we feel that there are lies being pushed by outlets in this room, we are going to hold those lies accountable,” Leavitt said. “And it is a fact that the body of water off the coast of Louisiana is called the Gulf of America.”
She noted that the official designation had been made by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum and recognized by major platforms such as Apple and Google.
CNN senior political commentator Scott Jennings also sided with the administration, accusing the AP of ignoring legal processes.
“We have a lawful process in this country for changing the name of it, the president went through it with the Secretary of Interior,” Jennings said. “I think this smacks of a news organization looking for a way to pick a fight with Donald Trump … He is the president, and there is a lawful process that he went through to do it, so why won’t they just respect that?”
The controversy highlights the ongoing tensions between the media and the Trump administration as both sides continue to clash over language, policy, and press access.
