The White House banned the Associated Press from attending news conferences after it refused to refer to the Gulf of Mexico as the "Gulf of America" in reportage, as demanded by the Trump administration. A judge yesterday told them this violated the first amendment and ordered them to let the AP back in.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, an appointee of President Donald Trump, ruled that the government can't retaliate against the AP's decision not to follow the president's executive order to rename the Gulf of Mexico. The decision, while a preliminary injunction, handed the AP a major victory at a time the White House has been challenging the press on several levels.
"Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints," McFadden wrote. "The Constitution requires no less."
However, the AP reports that it has since been turned away again—"Shortly after the ruling, an AP reporter and photographer were turned away from joining a motorcade with the White House press pool"—suggesting the administration expects to face no consequences for refusing to comply and, perhaps, a servile response from the Supreme Court should the matter end up before it.
Previously:
• Associated Press and Encyclopedia Britannica still calling it Gulf of Mexico despite White House tantrum
• Associated Press apologizes for tweet noting that Sept. 11 is the 'anniversary of a Nickelback album'
• Associated Press will syndicate non-profit investigative journalism
• Associated Press will sell you a license to quote the public domain
• Associated Press Style: No more capitalizing internet and web
