Trump Banned AP from the Oval Office Over the "Gulf of Mexico." That's a Bigger Deal Than You Think.

When the president tries to dictate basic geography to journalists, we have a serious First Amendment problem.

Yesterday, the Associated Press found itself locked out of an Oval Office press event for refusing to bow to presidential pressure to change its style guide. The reason? The AP won't refer to the Gulf of Mexico exclusively as the "Gulf of America," as newly-renamed by executive order.

This may seem like a relatively minor dispute on the surface. After al…