President Donald Trump has achieved another significant victory against the mainstream media, as a U.S. federal appeals court has determined that a lower court’s order requiring Associated Press journalists to be granted access to White House media events should be temporarily halted.
The 2-1 decision, issued by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, imposes a temporary suspension on an order that was initially established by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden. On April 8, Judge McFadden ruled that the administration was obligated to permit AP reporters access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and the White House while the news organization’s lawsuit was ongoing.
The Trump administration faced a lawsuit from the AP after the White House expelled them due to their choice to continue referring to the Gulf of Mexico by its original name rather than the Gulf of America. Attorneys representing the AP argued that the policy preventing them from accessing these events violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, asserting it infringed upon free speech rights.
