A federal judge on Monday declined a request by the Associated Press to immediately restore full access to the presidential event for news outlet journalists.
US District Judge Trevor McFadden declined to grant the Associated Press’ request for a temporary injunction to restore access to the Oval Office, Air Force 1 and the event held at the White House. The Trump administration banned outlets earlier this month as they continued to be listed in the Gulf of Mexico after the president renamed the “American Gulf.”
Trump’s appointee McFadden said the “more private areas” restrictions Trump used were different from previous cases in which courts stopped government officials from revoking access to journalists. .
“I can’t say that the AP has shown a chance of success here,” says McFadden.
However, he also described the ban as “problematic” and advised the government that “the circuit’s case law is of uniform use to the White House.” McFadden said the issue requires further exploration before the verdict. Another hearing for the incident is set for next month.
The Associated Press filed a lawsuit last week over the ban. There, three senior Trump aides appointed to the decision to block reporters from a particular location would be to instruct the language to the protection of amendments to the US Constitution by attempting to direct their language. by claiming that it was in violation of the First Amendment Protection of the statement. Used to report news.
“The Constitution prevents the US President or other government officials from reporting news to journalists or someone else using official government vocabulary,” said Associated Press lawyer Charles Tobin, who has heard the court hearing. It was stated in.
The outlet’s lawyers argued that if the ban was not lifted immediately, the AP would face “irreparable harm.”
Trump administration lawyers argued in court filings prior to the hearing that the Associated Press does not have a constitutional right to what is called “special media access to the president.”
White House Communications Director Stephen Chong called the Associated Press Case “a blatant PR stunt,” but White House spokesman Karoline Leavitt said, “We feel right in this position. “We’ll do that.”
Leavitt is one of three White House officials appointed as defendants in the case. The other two, Chief of Staff Susan Wills and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budwich, did not respond to requests for comment.
Last month, Trump signed an executive order directing the US Department of Interior to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the US Gulf.
The Associated Press said in January that it will continue to use long-established Gulf names in its narratives, while continuing to acknowledge Trump’s efforts to change it.
The White House responded by banning Associated Press reporters, preventing Associated Press journalists from watching Trump and other top White House officials and taking newsworthy actions or responding to news events in real time. Ta.
“We’re going to keep them out until we agree that they’re the Gulf of America,” Trump said last week.
The White House Correspondents Association stated in a brief legal summary in favour of the AP of the case, in which the ban “controls and distorts the president’s news coverage at a disadvantage to the public.”
Reuters and the Associated Press contributed to this report
