A US court has ordered the White House to restore the Associated Press's (AP) full access to the presidential events.
According to BBC, almost two months after the ban, US District Judge Trevor McFadden on Tuesday, April 8, 2025, ordered the Trump administration to lift restrictions on the AP journalist, citing the action was “contrary to the First Amendment", which guarantees freedom of speech.
The judge wrote in a ruling, “The court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the government opens its doors to some journalists, be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere. It cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less."
McFadden, who was appointed by Donald Trump during his first term in 2017, delayed the implementation of the ruling until Sunday, April 13, 2025, to allow the administration's lawyers to file an appeal on the decision.
The dispute between AP and the Trump administration arose after the media outlet refused to rename the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America” in its coverage following US president’s executive orders.
After the dispute, the Trump administration banned AP from accessing press events at the White House and Air Force One.
