Equity Sucks When It's Their Turn: AP Loses Case to Regain White House Press Perch

A federal judge on Friday gave preliminary approval to a new White House press policy that downgrades The Associated Press to the same status as newspapers, eliminating the wire service’s previously privileged access to the president.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee who had earlier ruled that the White House unlawfully discriminated against AP for declining to use the term “Gulf of America,” said the revised policy appears to be viewpoint neutral.

“I’m not inclined to see anything wrong with it,” said McFadden during a Friday hearing.

The new policy places reporters from the Associated Press—along with those from Bloomberg and Reuters—on equal footing with newspaper outlets like The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times. Under the revised rules, AP photographers will also hold the same status as other photojournalists.