A US judge on Tuesday ordered Donald Trump’s White House to lift access restrictions imposed on the Associated Press over the news agency’s decision to continue to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in its coverage.
The order from US district judge Trevor McFadden, who Trump appointed during his first term, requires the White House to allow the AP’s journalists to access the Oval Office, Air Force One and events held at the White House while the AP’s lawsuit moves forward.
The AP sued three senior Trump aides in February, alleging the restrictions were an attempt to coerce the press into using the administration’s preferred language. The lawsuit alleged the restrictions violated protections under the US constitution for free speech and due process, since the AP was unable to challenge the ban.
after newsletter promotion
Lawyers for the Trump administration have argued that the AP does not have a right to what the White House has called “special access” to the president.
Source: US Politics - theguardian.com
