USA Court: US government does not have to let AP into the Oval Office
The White House may deny the US news agency Associated Press (AP) access to the President's Oval Office and his government aircraft Air Force One for the time being. This was decided by an appeals court, partially suspending the order of a lower court pending a further decision in the case. US President Donald Trump celebrated the decision in a statement on his online mouthpiece Truth Social as a "big VICTORY over AP".
07.06.2025, 10:16
SDA
A federal judge had ordered the White House in April to grant AP access to presidential rooms that are only accessible to certain people if they are also open to other journalists. In addition to the Oval Office and Air Force One, this also applies to Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in the state of Florida, for example. The US government appealed against this and the case ended up before an appeals court.
Where the White House is allowed to restrict access - and where not
The court has now decided to suspend the order with regard to such restricted locations. It was left to the discretion of the White House to decide which journalists would be granted access there, it said. Without immediate legal intervention, the government would suffer "irreparable harm, as the order restricts the President's independence and control over his private work spaces".
The situation is different for larger events in the White House, which take place in the less restricted East Room. The order will not be suspended for this part of the White House - AP must therefore be granted access there.
Dispute over renaming the Gulf of Mexico
The background to the conflict is the news agency's refusal to adopt Trump's order to rename the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America" in its reporting. The White House therefore repeatedly excluded AP journalists from events and also denied them access to Air Force One.
The name "Gulf of Mexico" has been used since the 16th century. The waters border several US states as well as Mexico and Cuba. Trump ordered the renaming of the bay by decree. Accordingly, the name change applies to the area up to the maritime borders of Mexico and Cuba.
News agencies from Europe and groups campaigning for press freedom criticized the White House for making access more difficult for AP. The Associated Press is one of the world's most important news agencies - even though Trump regularly accuses it and other media outlets critical of the government of spreading "fake news".
Trump administration relies on "new media"
At the same time, the new government is granting privileged access to the White House to numerous right-wing media, influencers, bloggers and podcasters, which it refers to as "new media". It is striking that their representatives often ask Trump benevolent questions at press conferences or serve as cues for his own statements without critically questioning him.
Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt welcomed the appeals court's decision and announced that she would grant "new media" even more access to the president in future.
