OAN Staff James Meyers
12:19 PM – Friday, April 18, 2025
A federal judge on Friday declined to further enforce his order directing the White House to restore the Associated Press’ access to certain areas.
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In an subtle U-turn, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden indicated that he is likely to side with the Trump government, stating that the new policy — which removes a guaranteed spot for wire services while allowing them to be part of the rotating daily press pool — does not appear to unfairly target the Associated Press (AP News).
“I don’t intend to micromanage the White House,” McFadden noted, while handing down his decision.
However, he also added that if the AP continues to receive “second class treatment” during their White House visits, that this would be a “very serious problem.”
“And there would be serious consequences,” he continued.
This comes after the AP sued three White House officials in early 2025, after its journalists were banned from the oval office, Air Force One, and other limited spaces.
Contributing to the tension, was the Associated Press’ refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” in its widely referenced stylebook, following the president’s renaming of the Gulf of Mexico. The outlet had refused to abide by the president’s executive order, which declared that the Gulf of Mexico shall now be renamed to the Gulf of America.
McFadden ordered the Trump administration to resume allowing the AP into those certain spaces when they’re made available to other press pool members.
After the White House put in place its new policy, just days after McFadden’s preliminary injunction went into effect, the AP asked the judge to enforce his order. However, a lawyer for the AP, Charles Tobin, called the White House’s policy a “spit in the court’s eye.”
He argued that eliminating the wire service slot altogether was done for the “express purpose” of diminishing the outlet’s opportunities to cover the president.
“We did not get into the pool Monday, or Tuesday, or Wednesday,” he said.
Additionally, AP’s photographers were allowed back into the photo pool on Thursday and Friday, but a print reporter has not yet been selected for pool rotation — since the White House first decided to exclude AP.
In response, Department of Justice lawyer (DOJ) Jane Lyons urged the court to “slow down a little bit.” She said that the White House’s policy had only been in place for three days, and McFadden’s injunction for five, noting that it’s “way too soon” to determine there’s a problem with the new way of conducting things.
The hearing also followed arguments yesterday in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, as a panel of three judges debated whether to halt McFadden’s order while the White House appeals.
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