Trump: AP White House access restricted until they use "Gulf of America"

• Trump has limited AP reporters' access to the White House and Air Force One over the dispute.

Driving the news: "The Associated Press just refuses to go with what the law is and what has taken place, it's called the 'Gulf of America' now," Trump told Axios during a press conference at Mar-a-Lago on Tuesday.

• "It's not called the Gulf of Mexico any longer. … We're going to keep them out until such time they agree that it's the Gulf of America."

What they're saying: AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said in a statement addressing Trump's comments "this is about the government telling the public and press what words to use and retaliating if they do not follow government orders."

• Easton said the White House "has restricted AP's coverage of presidential events because of how we refer to a location."

• She added: "The Associated Press has provided critical and independent coverage of the White House for over 100 years," Easton added.

Between the lines: Axios reported Monday that one of the main reasons the Trump White House is limiting AP reporters' access is because of what aides see as liberal bias in the wire's influential stylebook, a characterization that the AP rejects.

Go deeper: Scoop: Why Trump targets AP

Editor's note: This story has been updated with comment from AP spokesperson Lauren Easton additional details.