On Tuesday, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit upheld a June 6 ruling permitting the Trump administration to exclude The Associated Press from covering the president in specific settings, such as the Oval Office or Air Force One.
The conflict began in February when the White House barred AP journalists from press events for using "Gulf of Mexico" instead of the president's preferred "Gulf of America."
A federal district court initially ruled that this exclusion violated the First Amendment, ordering the administration to reinstate AP to the press pool.
However, a three-judge panel in the D.C. appeals court paused that decision in a 2-1 vote, stating the White House could choose journalists based on viewpoint. Tuesday’s full court order reaffirmed this, dealing a setback to AP, which may now appeal to the Supreme Court.
AP spokesman Patrick Maks expressed disappointment but emphasized the outlet’s commitment to free speech and nonpartisan reporting, citing the supportive district court opinion.