The White House reportedly didn’t let a court order get in the way of it barring The Associated Press from the Oval Office Monday.
A reporter and photographer from the AP were not permitted to cover a news conference with President Donald Trump and Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, per AP.
The AP duo was reportedly barred from the event even though a federal court judge ruled last week that the Trump administration was not allowed to stop the AP from covering the White House because of its refusal to change the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America in its stylebook.
The administration is appealing the decision and is arguing it does not need to make the changes imposed by U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden until all appeals have been exhausted.
A hearing by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. circuit has been set for Thursday as the Trump administration seeks any changes be delayed while AP wants immediate access. According to last week’s ruling, AP was to regain access Monday.
Two AP photographers were allowed to cover Monday’s event honoring the Ohio State championship football team, while a reporter was denied access.
The AP has been banned from the Oval Office and Air Force One since February, but has had some access elsewhere.
McFadden sided with the AP, which argued the “government cannot punish the news organization for exercising its right to free speech,” per the outlet.
“We expect the White House to restore AP’s participation in the (White House press) pool as of today, as provided in the injunction order,” AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said Monday.
The Trump administration pointed out that AP had unprecedented access before, but that does not necessarily need to continue.
“No other news organization in the United States receives the level of guaranteed access previously bestowed upon the AP,” the administration said in court papers filed over the weekend. “The AP may have grown accustomed to its favored status, but the Constitution does not require that such status endure in perpetuity.”
