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 wire service sued three of them for denying its reporters access to press events. The White House has objected to The A.P.’s references to the Gulf of Mexico in articles.