A federal judge rejected the Associated Press‘ request to temporarily restore its White House access after President Donald Trump banned the outlet.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump in 2017, turned down the Associated Press’ request for a temporary restraining order, writing that the AP “can get access to the same information” from pool coverage rather than attending each White House event directly.
Judge McFadden explained that he was not convinced the AP faced “irreparable harm” from the current restrictions, per CNN.
He noted that the AP was only being barred from “more private areas” of the administration, such as Air Force One and the Oval Office.
The White House celebrated the decision in a press release, “As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right.”
“We stand by our decision to hold the Fake News accountable for their lies, and President Trump will continue to grant an unprecedented level of access to the press. This is the most transparent Administration in history.”
On Tuesday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also announced that the White House Correspondents’ Association will no longer be deciding which outlets are part of press pools and that the “White House team” will be making decisions on which outlets will be taking part in press events.
“I’m proud to announce that we are going to give the power back to the people who read your papers, who watch television shows, and who listen to your radio stations. Moving forward, the White House press pool will be determined by the White House press team. Legacy outlets who have participated in the press pool for decades will still be allowed to join, fear not, but we will also be offering the privilege to well-deserving outlets who have never been allowed to share in this awesome responsibility. Just like we added a new media seat in this briefing room, legacy media outlets who have been here for years will still participate in the pool, but new voices are going to be welcomed in as well. As part of these changes, we will continue the rotation amongst the five major television networks to ensure the president’s remarks are heard far and wide around this world. We will add additional streaming services which reach different audiences than traditional cable and broadcast.”
The WHCA was blindsided by Tuesday’s announcement, a source familiar told Mediaite. WHCA President Eugene Daniels later confirmed this in a statement responding to the White House.
The dispute began when President Trump issued an executive order mandating that the body of water previously known as the Gulf of Mexico be renamed to the “Gulf of America.” Trump’s administration asserted that the AP, as well as other media outlets, must adhere to this new designation in their reporting. (RELATED: Associated Press Sues Trump Administration)
The AP has been a vocal opponent of the rebranding, maintaining that the long-established name “Gulf of Mexico” should remain in use, particularly as it remains widely recognized by global audiences and geographical institutions.
Trump’s executive order to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico was signed shortly after he resumed office, following through on a campaign promise to enhance American sovereignty and control over geographical references tied to the U.S. The decision was met with mixed reactions; some hailed it as a bold move in line with Trump’s “America First” policy, while others saw it as an unnecessary and potentially divisive gesture.
Notably, both major mapping platforms, Google and Apple, have already taken steps to implement the name change. Google, in particular, updated its Google Maps app to reflect “Gulf of America” for U.S. users, stating that it adheres to official government naming standards. Users outside the U.S. still see the dual-name reference, displaying both “Gulf of Mexico” and “Gulf of America” for clarity.
