A federal judge has ordered the Trump Administration to restore full access to the Associated Press (AP), ruling that the government cannot deny access to certain reporters based on their viewpoints. The decision, made on Tuesday by Judge Trevor McFadden of the D.C. Circuit, is a win for free speech advocates.
In his 41-page ruling, McFadden stated that the government’s actions violated the First Amendment. “The Court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists —be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere — it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints,” he wrote.
The White House had limited the AP’s access to key events, including barring its reporters from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other areas after the AP refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” a name President Trump had given it.
The White House argued that the restrictions were not aimed specifically at AP but were part of an effort to allow other, smaller news outlets more access to the president. However, the AP contended it was being targeted for not following Trump’s naming decision for the Gulf.
Judge McFadden rejected the White House’s defense, noting that several high-ranking officials admitted the restrictions were in response to the AP’s viewpoint on the Gulf name. “Several high-ranking officials have repeatedly said that they are restricting the AP’s access precisely because of the organization’s viewpoint,” McFadden wrote.
AP employees testified during the case about the negative impact of the access restrictions. Zeke Miller, AP’s Chief White House Correspondent, explained that limited access had diminished the outlet’s ability to cover events fully. Evan Vucci, the AP’s chief photographer in Washington, D.C., said the restrictions left the organization “dead in the water” on major stories.
McFadden agreed that the AP had been irreparably harmed by the restrictions and ordered the White House to put the AP “on an equal playing field” with other journalists.
The ruling sends a clear message about the importance of press freedom and the government’s obligation to treat all journalists fairly. The White House has yet to comment on the decision.
