President Donald Trump defended barring the Associated Press from the Oval Office and other high-profile, limited media events until it recognized the “Gulf of America” in its coverage, his first public comments on his administration’s increasing public hostility toward the wire service.

The White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) condemned the Trump administration for a second time Thursday following The Associated Press’s expulsion from the president’s reporter pool due to an editorial decision.

The administration blasted the news organization for “misinformation” over its refusal to refer to the “Gulf of America.”

"The Associated Press continues to ignore the lawful geographic name change of the Gulf of America," a White House official said.

The Associated Press, which serves news outlets across the globe, uses Gulf of Mexico but notes Trump’s renaming is as Gulf of America as well.