The Trump administration's prohibition of the Associated Press (AP) from key White House locations remains in place, following a ruling by US District Judge Trevor McFadden. The ban, imposed because the AP continues to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its traditional name rather than "Gulf of America" as directed by President Trump, has sparked a legal dispute over First Amendment rights. The AP is challenging the ban through a lawsuit, naming three senior Trump aides as defendants. The case argues that this decision infringes on constitutional protections against government restriction of speech.
The AP has maintained its stance on using the established name of the Gulf of Mexico in its stories, while recognizing President Trump's initiative to alter it. Despite the ban, the AP has vowed to uphold journalistic standards and integrity.
"We’re going to keep them out until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America," stated President Trump.
The lawsuit contends that blocking AP reporters from certain areas like the Oval Office, Air Force One, and White House events violates the US Constitution. The White House Correspondents' Association has supported the AP by filing a legal brief, cautioning that such a ban could significantly affect news coverage of the president.
"will chill and distort news coverage of the president to the public’s detriment," noted the White House Correspondents’ Association.
During court proceedings, Charles Tobin, representing the AP, argued that the ban causes "irreparable harm" to the news agency. He emphasized that case law in the circuit does not favor the White House's position.
“The constitution prevents the president of the United States or any other government official from coercing journalists or anyone else into using official government vocabulary to report the news,” remarked Charles Tobin.
The Trump administration defended its stance, asserting that the AP does not possess a constitutional right to "special media access to the president." Additionally, administration officials labeled the lawsuit a "blatant PR stunt" and insisted that referring to the Gulf by its preferred name is a matter of respect to the president.
Judge McFadden declined to grant a temporary injunction that would have restored AP's access to restricted locations, stating that further exploration of the issues was necessary before ruling. Another hearing is scheduled for next month to deliberate on these matters further.