"The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government," the AP said in its lawsuit.

The wire service’s journalists have been banned from White House events since Feb. 11 over the organization’s use of the name Gulf of Mexico.

The Associated Press on Friday sued senior aides to President Donald Trump over a decision by the White House to restrict the news outlet's access to the president and other officials for continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage.