U.S. President Donald Trump can restrict the Associated Press (AP) from attending specific media events after a federal appeals court temporarily suspended a previous ruling that mandated lifting the restrictions.
The appeals court in Washington has halted Judge Trevor McFadden’s ruling from April 8, which stated that the Trump administration was required to grant AP reporters access to events in the White House Oval Office and aboard Air Force One while the agency’s appeal against the restrictions is pending.
The AP initiated legal action in February after the White House limited its access due to the agency’s decision to continue referring to “Gulf of Mexico” in its coverage, despite Trump’s executive order renaming it “Gulf of America.”
AP’s legal team has argued that Trump’s decision infringes on the First Amendment, which safeguards free speech. They noted that the Gulf of Mexico has been known by that name for over 400 years, and emphasized that the name change only applies within the U.S., with other nations and international bodies not adhering to it.
Judge McFadden, appointed by Trump during his prior presidency, remarked that the White House cannot refuse access to journalists based on their viewpoints.
Attorneys for the Trump administration contended that media access to the White House is at the president’s discretion, asserting that Judge McFadden’s ruling undermines the president’s authority to determine who may enter sensitive areas. According to court documents, the government’s legal team stated, “The Constitution does not prevent the president from considering past press coverage when deciding the level of access granted to individual reporters.”
On April 16, the AP accused the Trump administration of violating a court order by continuing to restrict its reporters from attending certain events and imposing limitations on other media outlets, including Reuters and Bloomberg.
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