A federal judge denied the Associated Press (AP) emergeny relief request for White House access to be “immediately” restored but wants the Trump administration to consider it since there was no “irreparable harm,” Associated Press reports.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden told lawyers representing the Trump administration and AP that his ruling was temporary as the issue needed further examination. However, he pressed the Trump team to reconsider its two-week-old ban as case law “is uniformly unhelpful to the White House,” cautioning them that the law isn’t on their side to ban a publication for failing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” “It seems pretty clearly viewpoint discrimination,” McFadden told government attorney Brian Hudak.
A reporter from the news organization was banned from the White House on Feb. 11 for failing to comply with one of Trump’s executive orders that changed the body of water’s name. “Today, we were informed by the White House that if AP did not align its editorial standards with President Donald Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, AP would be barred from accessing an event in the Oval Office,” AP’s Senior Vice President Julie Pace, said in a statement.
“This afternoon, AP’s reporter was blocked from attending an executive order signing.”
After McFadden’s decision, AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said the team looks forward to its next hearing as they fight for the First Amendment right to freedom of speech and press. “We look forward to our next hearing on March 20, where we will continue to stand for the right of the press and the public to speak freely without government retaliation,” Easton said.
“This is a fundamental American freedom.”
According to BBC, AP said they would continue to label the Gulf of Mexico as is while acknowledging the Trump administration’s efforts to rename it. Since then, the publication, which hundreds of news outlets depend on, has been banned from the White House and Air Force One but permitted on White House grounds.
In a suit filed by AP, three administration figures, Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, were named as it continues to push for access. In a statement, the Trump administration argues that White House access is “a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right.” “That’s not just special access. That’s extra-special access,” Hudak said. “The president can choose who to speak with.”
Since Trump made the decision to ban the AP, several fellow publications, including conservative outlets Fox and NewsMax, have signed a letter supporting the White House’s reconsideration of its position on AP.
RELATED CONTENT: Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Portions Of Trump’s Anti-DEI Executive Orders
