The Daily Fuckup

On March 8, 2025, the White House fight with The Associated Press was still unresolved. The dispute grew out of the Trump administration’s push to have the federal government use Gulf of America as the official name for the body of water long known as the Gulf of Mexico. AP said it would continue using Gulf of Mexico in its reporting while also noting the federal change, and the White House responded by restricting the news organization’s access to some presidential events.

By that date, the matter was already in federal court. AP filed suit on Feb. 21. Four days later, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden declined to immediately restore AP’s full access, leaving the dispute in place and keeping the case moving toward a follow-up hearing set for March 20. The ruling that ultimately barred the government from keeping AP out of White House events did not come until April 8.

The March 8 posture mattered because the legal fight was still about process and retaliation, not a finished result. The administration was defending its decision to limit access. AP was arguing that the government could not punish a newsroom for sticking with its own style. That left the core question open: whether the White House could condition access to the president on using the administration’s preferred language.

As of March 8, the answer was still pending. The case remained active, and the final ruling had yet to arrive.