AP Asks Judge to Enforce Court Order for White House Access

After the White House again denied Associated Press access other news media have to cover Donald Trump and then issued a new policy to cement that, AP asked federal District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden to enforce his court order to restore normal access.

On 9 April 2025, McFadden issued a preliminary injunction which required the White House to restore AP’s access to events related to the President and to Air Force One.

On 14 April, the White House barred AP from the Oval Office for the  meeting of Donald Trump and El Salvador President Nayib Bukele.

Late on 15 April, the White House announced a chance in policy for the press pool that covers the White House and President. The pool has been managed by the White House Correspondents Association, which is independent. When an event has limited space, the pool has included reporters from each of the the main wire services AP, Reuters and Bloomberg which produce reports used by media around the world, and one reporter from more than 30 print media outlets on a rotating basis.

The White House declared from now on the three wire services and the print reporters will vie for two slots and the White House Press Secretary “shall retain day-to-day discretion to determine composition of the pool.”

Although the new policy says reporters will also be allowed in “irrespective of the substantive viewpoint expressed by an outlet,” access for all the wire services will be cut back as they enter a rotation with more than 30 other reporting entities for only two slots. Bloomberg and Thomson Reuters joined AP in objecting to the new policy.

Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait said, “For decades, the daily presence of the wire services in the press pool has ensured that investors and voters across the United States and around the world can rely on accurate real-time reporting on what the president says and does. We deeply regret the decision to remove that permanent level of scrutiny and accountability.”

AP’s Lauren Easton expressed deep disappointment that the White House chose to restrict all the wire services instead of simply complying with McFadden’s court order.

The WHCA/s president Eugene Daniels said by taking control over who covers the President, the White House indicated it is not willing to promise it will stop discriminating against some reporters based on disagreements over viewpoint. “The government should not be able to control the independent media that covers it.”

McFadden’s ruling is being appealed.

AP has been allowed into briefings by the Press Secretary, but not events in the East Room until last Tuesday when AP was allowed for an event with the Navy football team.

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