A U.S. judge on Tuesday (April 8) ordered President Donald Trump’s White House to lift access restrictions imposed on the Associated Press over the news agency’s decision to continue to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage, AP reports.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who was appointed by Trump during his first term, ruled the White House must allow AP journalists access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and events held at the White House while the AP’s lawsuit moves forward.
The White House began limiting AP’s access to several events that featured Trump after the news agency said it would continue using the name Gulf of Mexico while acknowledging Trump’s order to change the name of the body of water to the Gulf of America.
"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," McFadden wrote in his ruling.
McFadden said his ruling will not go into effect until Sunday to give the Trump administration time to appeal his decision. The judge is expected to issue a final ruling in coming months; that ruling could also be subject to appeal.
"Today’s ruling affirms the fundamental right of the press and public to speak freely without government retaliation," AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said in a statement.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The AP says in its stylebook that the Gulf of Mexico has carried that name for more than 400 years and, as a global news agency, the AP will refer to it by its original name while acknowledging the new name Trump has chosen.
The AP sued three senior Trump aides in February, alleging the restrictions were an attempt to coerce the press into using the administration’s preferred language. The lawsuit alleged the restrictions violated protections under the U.S. Constitution for free speech and due process, since the AP was unable to challenge the ban.
Lawyers for the Trump administration have argued that the AP does not have a right to what the White House has called special access to the president.
