President Donald Trump has once again won a huge victory over the mainstream media as a U.S. federal appeals court has ruled that a lower court decision mandating that Associated Press journalists be given access to White House media events be paused.
The 2-1 ruling, which was handed down by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, throws a temporary block on an order that was originally instituted by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden. McFadden ruled on April 8 that the administration had to allow AP reporters access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and the White House while the news outlet’s lawsuit was pushed forward.
Trump’s administration was sued by the AP after the White House booted them over their decision to continue calling the Gulf of Mexico by its original name and not the Gulf of America. Lawyers representing the AP attempted to make the case that the policy forbidding the AP from having access to these events violated the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, claiming it is a violation of free speech.
Legal professionals representing the Trump administration said the president has total discretion over which media outlets and personalities have access to the White House. They pointed out that McFadden’s ruling infringed on President Trump’s right to decide who can be admitted to sensitive spaces.
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