The White House's outright attempt at regulating language used by independent media — and the punitive measures attached to it — mark a sharp escalation in Trump's often fraught dealings with news organizations.

The AP sued Trump officials over the White House ban on the news org because of its refusal to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America."

The Associated Press is suing three Trump administration officials after being barred from some White House events and spaces, citing a violation of First and Fifth Amendment rights. The lawsuit — filed in federal district court in Washington — comes after over a week of the White House punishing the AP for not changing its guidelines on the Gulf of Mexico — which President Donald Trump renamed the “Gulf of America.