The Justice Department argued before a federal appeals court that President Trump acted lawfully when banning Associated Press (AP) reporters from the Oval Office and other White House spaces.
What they’re saying: Government lawyer Yaakov Roth claimed that constitutional press freedoms do not guarantee AP special access to non-public areas, stating, “The president routinely invites Republicans and not Democrats into the Oval Office for ceremonies…For the same reasons he can invite favored reporters and not disfavored reporters to watch that ceremony in the Oval Office,” according to a report from Reuters.
Driving the news: The ban was a response to the AP’s refusal to use Trump’s preferred term, “Gulf of America,” instead of “Gulf of Mexico” in news coverage.
Go deeper: AP attorney Charles Tobin countered in court, arguing, “the First Amendment does not stop at the Oval Office door,” and said that exclusion from the press pool based on disfavored coverage violates constitutional protections.
- U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden previously ruled in favor of the AP, ordering immediate restoration of their access, but the appeals court later paused this injunction while considering the case.
- An AP spokesperson remarked, “We strongly believe this case could have much wider implications, not only for other news organizations, but for anyone in America.”
- The administration removed wire services, including AP and Reuters, from the permanent press pool, but allows sporadic participation.
- The AP has sued three senior Trump staff, citing violations of free speech and due process protections over the restrictions.
- The White House called the AP’s editorial refusal “divisive and misinformation” and restricted access in retaliation.
- No ruling was issued by the appeals panel during the hearing.
