U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, appointed by Donald Trump in 2017, has issued a preliminary injunction. It is in favor of the Associated Press (AP), temporarily blocking the Trump administration’s ban on the outlet’s access to the Oval Office, East Room, and other White House press areas.
The ruling marks a significant free press victory in a lawsuit centered on the administration’s demand that AP adopt politically charged language.
The White House had barred AP reporters and photographers after the news agency refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America,” as outlined in Executive Order 14172, titled “Restoring Names That Honor American Greatness.”
Lawsuit Alleges Viewpoint-Based Discrimination
On February 21, AP filed a federal lawsuit in Washington, D.C., claiming the administration engaged in “content- and viewpoint-based discrimination” in violation of the First Amendment.
The original complaint requested a temporary restraining order, which Judge McFadden initially declined. However, after an amended complaint was filed on March 3—including claims related to the ban of AP photographers—McFadden issued a sharply worded order.
