Particle.news
Download on the App Store
7 ARTICLES
·
2h ago

D.C. Circuit Upholds Limits on AP’s White House Access

The full court’s refusal to rehear the case leaves AP barred from Oval Office events, coverage aboard Air Force One, triggering a potential appeal to the Supreme Court.

AP's members leave the U.S. District Court, on the day a judge hears arguments in the Associated Press' (AP) bid to restore access for its journalists to cover press events aboard Air Force One and at the White House, after the Trump administration barred the news agency for continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage, in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 27, 2025. REUTERS/Tom Brenner/File Photo
FILE - President Donald Trump holds up a signed proclamation declaring Feb. 9 Gulf of America Day, as Interior Secretary Doug Burgum watches aboard Air Force One as Trump travels from West Palm Beach, Fla. to New Orleans, Feb. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis, File)
WASHINGTON, DC - JULY 21: White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt answers questions from reporters outside the White House on July 21, 2025 in Washington, DC. Leavitt answered a range of questions on a number of topics following a brief television interview. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Image

Overview

  • The appeals court declined to rehear en banc a June panel ruling that permits the Trump administration to exclude AP reporters from select White House–controlled venues.
  • The restrictions specifically cover news events in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One and other invite-only spaces under presidential discretion.
  • The AP’s February lawsuit argues that blocking access over its refusal to use ‘Gulf of America’ constitutes unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination under the First Amendment.
  • A district court judge had ordered the administration to restore AP’s press-pool status, ruling that excluding the wire service while admitting others violated free speech protections, but that decision was paused by the appeals panel.
  • With the D.C. Circuit’s order in place, the Associated Press is preparing to seek review of the case by the U.S. Supreme Court.