AP Reports Continued Oval Office Exclusion Despite Court Order

The Associated Press (AP) stated it was barred from a Monday Oval Office meeting between President Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, despite a federal judge’s injunction last week overturning the White House’s ban on the outlet.

“We were excluded from the Oval Office today,” an AP spokesperson told TheWrap. “We expect the White House to comply with the court’s order and restore our pool access immediately.”

The White House banned AP from the Oval Office on Feb. 11 after the outlet refused to use “Gulf of America,” a term Trump mandated for the Gulf of Mexico in official documents. While AP retained access to other White House events, like press briefings, the Oval Office restriction prompted a lawsuit filed on Feb. 21, claiming a First Amendment violation.

“The government cannot retaliate against the press for their choice of words,” AP argued in its suit. “Such control threatens every American’s freedom.”

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden ruled last week that the White House must end AP’s exclusion, stating, “If the government opens its doors to some journalists, it cannot bar others based on their viewpoints.”

However, McFadden clarified that the ruling doesn’t mandate universal journalist access to the President or nonpublic areas, nor does it restrict officials’ discretion in granting interviews or answering questions.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously defended the ban, saying in February, “Access to the Oval Office is an invitation, not a right.”