Judge Letting AP Back into White House Press Pool is ‘Unprecedented Intrusion’: Trump DOJ

A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration’s attempt to bar the Associated Press (AP) from the White House press pool after the outlet refused to adopt a term promoted by the president.

Judge Sides with AP in White House Press Access Dispute

The controversy began when the White House demanded the AP refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” following President Trump’s executive order renaming the body of water. The administration moved to block the AP from access to key areas like the Oval Office, East Room, Air Force One, and Mar-a-Lago unless the outlet complied. In response, the AP filed a lawsuit in federal court, arguing that the ban was retaliation for not adopting the administration’s preferred language — a violation of the First Amendment. On Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the AP, ruling the ban was likely unconstitutional. He stated that while media outlets don’t have guaranteed access to the president’s personal spaces, they cannot be excluded solely due to their viewpoints.

Dispute Over Viewpoint Discrimination

Judge McFadden wrote that while the AP isn’t constitutionally entitled to enter the Oval Office, it does have a right not to be excluded because of its editorial stance. He emphasized that “access restrictions must be reasonable and not viewpoint based,” and said the AP was likely to prove it was punished for exercising its speech rights. The Department of Justice quickly filed a motion to halt McFadden’s injunction, arguing that the White House had not restricted AP’s actual speech. The DOJ insisted that the issue wasn’t about free expression but about the president’s right to choose who is allowed in his private and personal workspaces.

Trump Administration Claims Executive Authority

In its response, the DOJ called the court order an “unprecedented intrusion into executive authority.” It argued that the president, like any citizen, has the right to decide who is allowed in his private office, on his plane, or in his home. The government maintained that the decision to bar AP staff was not based on viewpoint discrimination but instead reflected the president’s right to control personal access. The DOJ warned that enforcing the court’s order before an appeal could set a dangerous precedent and lead to ongoing legal disputes every time a journalist is denied entry into sensitive spaces.

Judge: Media Can’t Be Punished for Editorial Choices

McFadden clarified that his ruling does not permanently block the Trump administration from limiting access to certain press members, nor does it guarantee AP a front-row seat at every event. However, he said that the government cannot single out media outlets for punishment based on the content of their reporting. “The Constitution requires no less,” McFadden wrote. He concluded that while the president can choose whom to interview or respond to, he cannot deny access to certain outlets simply because he disagrees with their editorial choices. The court, he said, was simply preventing the administration from violating the First Amendment.