A federal appeals court has ruled that US President Donald Trump may bar journalists from the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other "restricted areas" based on their editorial decisions. This is reported by Bloomberg, reports UNN.
Details
On Friday, June 6, the Court of Appeals overturned a lower court ruling in a 2-1 decision.
This is a decision that previously restored the Associated Press's ability to participate in the work of a rotating pool of reporters covering the president's daily movements. However, the appeals decision secured a victory for the Trump administration in its fight with the publication for access.
Trump called the decision a "Big WIN over AP today" on his Truth Social platform. "They refused to report the facts or the Truth about the AMERICA BAY. FAKE NEWS!"
In the majority opinion, Judge Neomi Rao wrote that the lower court's decision "encroaches on the independence of the President and control over his personal workspaces."
Throughout our nation's history, presidents have held important meetings and made historic decisions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One. Sometimes they invited the press to observe. But these limited presidential spaces are not First Amendment forums, and the President retains the right to decide who has access to them.
At the same time, the panel left part of the original order in force. It required the AP to continue to have access to the East Room of the White House, which was generally open to a wider range of reporters.
Let us remind you
On February 21, 2025, the Associated Press filed a lawsuit against three officials in the Donald Trump administration, accusing the White House of violating freedom of speech.
The Trump Administration stated that they plan to independently select media for the presidential press pool instead of the Correspondents Association. The Associated Press has already been banned from accessing the Oval Office and Air Force One.