US: Federal judge declines temporarily restoring AP’s full access to White House

A federal judge has refused to temporarily reinstate the Associated Press (AP) full access to President Donald Trump’s events, including the Oval Office and Air Force One after the White House barred the news organisation earlier this month.

US District Judge Trevor McFadden denied AP’s request for a temporary restraining order during a hearing on Monday. 

The news organisation sought the order after Trump revoked its access in response to its continued use of the term “Gulf of Mexico,” rather than adopting his preferred “Gulf of America.”

Despite the ruling, McFadden scheduled a hearing for March 20 to consider AP’s request for a preliminary injunction.

McFadden, a Trump appointee to the US District Court in Washington, DC, cited multiple reasons for rejecting the emergency relief request. 

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He stated that AP had not demonstrated “irreparable harm” from the ban, noting that it could still access information through White House Correspondents’ Association pool reports. He also pointed to AP’s delay in filing the lawsuit as an indication that the restriction did not require immediate judicial intervention.

However, during the hearing, McFadden expressed concerns about the legality of the ban, calling it “discriminatory” and “problematic.” He also questioned the White House’s reliance on the press pool system, stating, “It feels a little odd that the White House is bound by certain decisions that this private organization is making.” 

Still, he acknowledged that the system had been in place for decades and that the White House “has accepted the White House Correspondent Association’s ability to be the referee here.”

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the administration’s position, posting on X, “As we have said from the beginning, asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right.”

In response, AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said in a statement, “We look forward to our next hearing on March 20 where we will continue to stand for the right of the press and the public to speak freely without government retaliation. This is a fundamental American freedom.”

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