A federal judge will hear the Associated Press’ request to restore full access for its journalists after the Trump administration barred them for continuing to use “Gulf of Mexico” in coverage.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, is set to review the AP’s motion for a temporary restraining order at 3 p.m. ET in Washington. The AP sued three senior White House officials — press secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich — arguing the ban violates the First Amendment by attempting to control journalistic language.
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” The AP stated in January it would continue using the established name while noting Trump’s renaming efforts. In response, the White House revoked the AP’s access to the Oval Office and Air Force One, limiting their ability to cover Trump’s actions and comments in real time.
White House spokesman Steven Cheung dismissed the lawsuit as a “blatant PR stunt,” while Leavitt defended the ban at the Conservative Political Action Conference, saying, “We feel we are in the right.” Wiles and Budowich have not commented.
The White House Correspondents’ Association and press freedom groups condemned the ban. Reuters also issued a statement supporting the AP.
The White House did not respond to requests for comment on Sunday.
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