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4w ago

AP Returns to Court Over White House Ban in Press Freedom Battle

The Associated Press argues its exclusion from key events violates the First Amendment, while the Trump administration defends its control over press access.

In this May 2020 photo, Associated Press photographer Evan Vucci covers demonstrators as they gather to protest the death of George Floyd near the White House in Washington, DC.
White House Correspondents' Association President Eugene Daniels arrives at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse before the start of a hearing on The Associated Press' lawsuit against the Trump Administration to restore access to presidential events, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)
AP Senior Vice President and General Counsel Karen Kaiser, right, and AP Vice President and Associate General Counsel Brian Barrett arrive at the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse for a hearing on The Associated Press' lawsuit against the Trump Administration to restore access to presidential events, Thursday, March 27, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Overview

  • The Associated Press is seeking a federal court ruling to restore its access to White House events after being barred for refusing to adopt President Trump's 'Gulf of America' naming directive.
  • District Judge Trevor McFadden, who previously declined to issue an injunction, is revisiting the case in a hearing today in Washington, D.C.
  • The AP frames the lawsuit as a defense of press freedom and free speech, arguing that the White House's actions constitute unconstitutional retaliation against the press.
  • The Trump administration maintains that the president has the discretion to determine media access to exclusive events, including the press pool, which it has restructured to limit journalists' autonomy.
  • The case highlights broader concerns about government overreach into media independence, with press freedom advocates condemning the administration's actions as threats to transparency and accountability.