PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: A federal appeals court has stayed a lower court order that forced President Donald J. Trump to allow the Associated Press (AP) to have White House access. The judicial panel found that the Trump White House is likely to ultimately succeed against the litigation brought by the AP.
👥 Who’s Involved: President Donald J. Trump, the Associated Press, and the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.
📍 Where & When: The ruling was issued on Friday, June 6, 2025.
💬 Key Quote: “The White House is likely to succeed on the merits because these restricted presidential spaces are not First Amendment fora opened for private speech and discussion,” the justices found.
⚠️ Impact: The stay order means the Trump White House can move forward with their decision to bar the Associated Press from White House events and press pool privileges on Air Force One and other presidential venues.
IN FULL:
A federal appeals court has ruled that President Donald J. Trump can ban the Associated Press (AP) from White House access. On Friday, the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit handed down an order staying a lower court ruling that had ordered President Trump to restore press access to the AP, stating: “The White House is likely to succeed on the merits because these restricted presidential spaces are not First Amendment fora opened for private speech and discussion.”
“The White House therefore retains discretion to determine, including on the basis of viewpoint, which journalists will be admitted,” Circuit Court Justices Neomi Rao and Gregory Katsas write, adding: “Moreover, without a stay, the government will suffer irreparable harm because the injunction impinges on the President’s independence and control over his private workspaces.”
The ruling follows a Federal District Court decision in April to issue an injunction against the Trump White House’s ban on the AP. District Court Judge Trevor McFadden, at the time, determined that the ban was “contrary to the First Amendment” and ruled that the Trump White House must “put the AP on an equal playing field as similarly situated outlets, despite the AP’s use of disfavored terminology.” The AP was initially banned from the White House over the publication’s refusal to use the official government term, the “Gulf of America,” instead of the “Gulf of Mexico.”
Friday’s decision marks a significant legal win in the ongoing lawfare efforts by the Democratic Party and allied organizations to undermine President Trump and his agenda. Federal judges have controversially intervened in the America First leader’s efforts to deport dangerous and criminal illegal immigrants from the country, with Trump allies accusing the courts of overstepping their constitutional authority and interfering with executive branch powers.
