Posted on 04/09/2025 2:50:20 PM PDT by LouAvul
A federal judge ordered the White House on Tuesday to restore The Associated Press’ full access to cover presidential events, affirming on First Amendment grounds that the government cannot punish the news organization for the content of its speech.
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.”
It was unclear whether the White House would move immediately to put McFadden’s ruling into effect. McFadden held off on implementing his order for a week, giving the government time to respond or appeal. Shortly after the ruling, an AP reporter and photographer were turned away from joining a motorcade with the White House press pool to cover Trump’s appearance before the National Republican Congressional Committee.
The AP has been blocked since Feb. 11 from being among the small group of journalists to cover Trump in the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One, with sporadic ability to cover him at events in the East Room.
(Excerpt) Read more at fox23.com ...
The First Amendment is about the PRINTING not about sitting in a particular room.
opening the doors and getting a seat with a view is(are?) 2 different things.
That’s a great point.
Just ignore them in the press room- the way biden did when he would say, “it says here i’m supposed to call on...”
So anyone that purports be a journalist can not be denied access to the WH press room? The room has limited space.
LOL yes it is!
Nosebleed-equivalent spot in that tiny room, and nothing better. Ever.
Being in the W.H. press briefing is not a Constitutional right. Nobody is stopping from issuing FOIA’s, researching public data, and publishing their findings per the ‘free press’. Their job is to hold government accountable, which they’re not doing anyway - but they certainly have no ‘right’ to the W.H. press room.
As I understand it, it’s like the court is saying that you can’t bar someone because they’re black, but you can bar them because they’re an a$$hole. Seems fair enough, and it’s the law. Trump can still tell the AP reporters to get lost.
The 1st Amendment doesn’t secure free speech/press to corporations.
It’s purpose is to protect the speech of We the People, which Bammy and FJB notoriously circumscribed and of which courts couldn’t care less.
Obama seemed to have no problem banning journalists. Can the POTUS or its representatives just ignore their questions?
Wow...I can’t seem to lay my finger on that clause in the Constitution that grants the courts power to determine who may or may not enter the Whitehouse...
Trump ought to issue an executive order giving AP access to the judge’s chambers.
Yes Ass. Press should get a seat, at the back of the room, behind a pillar, perhaps facing the wall. One seat, to be shared by all Ass. Press propagandists.
Of course, they should be ignored at all times by whomever is answering questions.
‘ The 1st Amendment doesn’t secure free speech/press to corporations.’
It does though.
Your framing of the argument contradicts the corporations are people position.
just disband access to the white house, oval office and AF1 for ALL “reporters” ... INSTEAD, set up a live video feed (zoom or truth social, CSPAN or some such) and have karoline levitt and/or President Trump answer questions for an hour that are picked out of a set of fish bowls [one per major issue] from questions submitted by regular folks ... that’s all that’s needed ... “reporters” don’t need to be present nor do they need to be the ones asking questions ...
newspapers are dead and the nightly news is dying, and the model for news distribution has radically changed ...
there’s no reason that Donald Trump can’t just hold a one-hour fireside chat telecast by CSPAN every night as an alternative to “reporters” ...
Waiting for some judge to decree the WH color of curtains.
Trump is not restricting anyone’s free speech. Lots of press and people aren’t allowed in - neither are any of us. The AP doesn’t have any right to be there any more than anyone else.
Another asinine ruling, from another asinine judge.
How many can fit in the 300 square foot press room?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.