President Trump praised a federal appeals court decision that temporarily allows the White House to continue blocking The Associated Press from the Oval Office and other restricted areas.
“Big WIN over AP today,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “They refused to state the facts or the Truth on the GULF OF AMERICA. FAKE NEWS!!!”
The court’s 2–1 ruling halts a lower court’s order that had restored the AP’s access to the press pool and the president’s immediate environments. The appeals court found that these spaces are not traditional public forums protected under the First Amendment, and so the White House is likely within its rights to limit access.
In response, the AP expressed disappointment and said it is evaluating its next steps.
The dispute began after the AP declined to refer to a body of water as the “Gulf of America” in its editorial style, prompting the White House to remove the outlet from its press rotations. The appeals court ruling now sets the stage for further legal battles over media access at the highest levels of government.