In his first month back at the White House, Trump renamed that body of water as the "Gulf of America" and in response to AP's editorial decision, restricted access of its journalists to the presidential Air Force One plane and the Oval Office of the White House until they comply with his order.
"We have a fight with a news organization, AP, a radical left-wing organization - they treat us all very badly - and they refuse to acknowledge that the gulf formerly known as the Gulf of Mexico is now called the Gulf of America," the magnate said on Thursday before the Republican Governors Association in Washington.
"Now we keep them out of any press conference. I'm sure they will sue us, and maybe they will win. It doesn't matter. It's something that matters a lot to us," he assured, without clarifying what he meant by that possible legal action.
The Associated Press, with 180 years of history, is considered a pillar of American journalism and provides news to print, television, and radio media across the country.
In a style note last month, AP pointed out that "the Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for over 400 years" and emphasized that Trump's executive order "only has authority within the United States."
Technology billionaire Elon Musk, a staunch advocate of cutting federal spending, posted on social media: "AP stands for Associated Propaganda."