AL JAZEERA
Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists… it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints.
A federal judge has mandated that the White House reinstate The Associated Press’s (AP) access to presidential events, following its suspension due to the agency’s refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.”
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden ruled that the exclusion violated the First Amendment, stating, “Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists… it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints.”
The AP had been barred from events such as Oval Office briefings and Air Force One trips after declining to use the administration’s preferred terminology.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had previously asserted that access to the president is a privilege, not a right.
AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton responded, stating the agency is “gratified by the court’s decision,” emphasizing that the ruling “affirms the fundamental right of the press and public to speak freely without government retaliation.”