The Trump administration plans to appeal a federal court ruling that ordered the re-admittance of AP journalists to White House events.
The big picture: U.S. District Judge McFadden ruled against viewpoint discrimination, stating that the government cannot retaliate against the AP’s decision to not follow Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
- AP journalists have been excluded from White House events since February following their refusal to comply with Trump’s order.
- The appeal was filed by the government on behalf of three officials sued by the AP – White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, White House chief of staff Susan Wiles, and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich.
- The ruling by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Trump appointee, favored the AP by barring retaliation against the news organization for its speech content.
Go deeper: The injunction handed the AP a significant victory amid ongoing challenges by the administration against the press.
- The judge emphasized that under the First Amendment, the government cannot selectively restrict access to journalists based on their viewpoints.
- The AP had been excluded from covering Trump in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One since February, with limited access to events in the East Room.
