Appeals Court Rules Trump Can Bar The AP From Public Events

A U.S. appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump can, for now, bar The Associated Press (AP) from certain White House media events, such as those in the Oval Office and on Air Force One. 

The decision paused a lower court ruling by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, who had ordered the Trump administration to restore AP’s access, citing a First Amendment violation. 

The conflict arose after the AP refused to adopt Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America,” leading to restrictions on AP journalists’ access to limited-space events since mid-February 2025.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, in a 2-1 decision written by Judge Neomi Rao and joined by Judge Gregory Katsas (both Trump appointees), argued that the White House has discretion over access to “restricted presidential spaces” and that these spaces don’t fall under First Amendment protections.

They suggested the White House was likely to prevail in the ongoing lawsuit. Circuit Judge Cornelia Pillard dissented, stating the ruling undermines the role of a free press in democracy.

The AP’s lawsuit, filed in February 2025, argued that the restrictions were retaliation for its editorial choice to continue using “Gulf of Mexico” in its stylebook, which influences global journalism standards.

The White House also shifted control of the press pool from the White House Correspondents’ Association to itself, favoring conservative outlets and limiting access for wire services like Reuters and Bloomberg. Critics, including the AP and press freedom groups, called this a violation of free speech, while the administration claimed it was expanding access to new media.

The appeals court’s ruling is temporary, pending further legal proceedings, and the AP continues to cover larger White House briefings but faces ongoing barriers to smaller, high-access events.