Despite a court order, White House bars AP from Oval Office event

Article content

Journalists and photographers from the Associated Press were banned Monday in an Oval Office press conference with President Donald Trump and his peers from Salvador Nanib Bukele, despite court orders.

Article content

Article content

Article content

Last week’s federal court ruling banned the Trump administration from refusing to rename the Gulf of Mexico’s Associated Press effective Monday. The government appealed the decision and argued with the news media whether any content needed to be changed until those appeals were exhausted.

The U.S. Court of Appeals held a hearing on Trump’s request on Thursday, demanding that any changes be delayed when reviewing the case. The Associated Press is seeking more access as soon as possible.

Since mid-February, AP journalists and photographers have been blocked from attending Oval Office events, and President Donald Trump regularly speaks to journalists and speaks on Air Force One. The Associated Press has seen sporadic passages elsewhere and regularly covers briefings by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Leavitt is one of three government officials mentioned in the AP lawsuit.

Article content

Article content

The dispute stems from the AP’s decision not to comply with the president’s executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico, although AP Style does quote Trump’s desire to be called the Gulf of the United States. AP argues – U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden agreed last week – the government cannot punish news organizations for exercising their right to freedom of speech.

McFadden on Friday rejected Trump’s request for more delays in implementing the ruling. Now, the President is making the same thing to the Court of Appeal.

“We expect the White House to resume AP participation (White House Press) as of today (in the ban order), AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said on Monday.

Even with a court ruling, the future level of access to AP remains uncertain.

Article content

Before being blocked by Trump, the AP had traditionally been invited into the Oval Office’s group of reporters with a reporter and photographer. McFadden did not order a resumption, but should not be kept out of news organizations because the president opposed his news decision, based on the principle of “opinion discrimination.”

“In the United States, no other news agency has obtained the guaranteed level of access previously granted to the Associated Press,” the government argued in court filings over the weekend. “The Associated Press may have become accustomed to its preferred identity, but the Constitution does not require that such status be endured permanently.”

Article content