A federal judge has upheld the Trump administration’s decision to block Associated Press (AP) reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One after the news agency refused to adopt the White House’s preferred terminology for the Gulf of Mexico.
The ruling, delivered by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, denied AP’s request for an immediate injunction restoring access. While acknowledging that the administration appeared to be singling out AP over its editorial choices, McFadden stated that restricting access to “more private areas” of the presidency did not necessarily violate press rights.
The case centers around Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America,” a move AP declined to reflect in its reporting. The White House retaliated by revoking AP’s access, prompting the lawsuit.
The administration argues that press access to high-level spaces like the Oval Office and Air Force One is a privilege, not a right. The AP, however, maintains that the ban amounts to government retaliation against a free press, violating First Amendment protections.
The judge has scheduled an expedited review of the case, but for now, the White House’s press restrictions stand.
