A federal judge has ruled against the Trump administration’s decision to restrict the Associated Press from accessing certain presidential events, calling it unconstitutional viewpoint discrimination.

The conflict began after the White House renamed the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The Associated Press declined to adopt the term in its reporting. In response, the White House limited the AP’s access to high-level media events, including in the Oval Office and the East Room.

BREAKING: Associated Press wins preliminary injunction against White House in "Gulf of America" case: pic.twitter.com/Hjw3t5AMXk

— Adam Steinbaugh (@adamsteinbaugh) April 8, 2025

Judge Trevor McFadden sided with the AP and issued an injunction blocking the administration from continuing to exclude the news agency on the basis of its editorial stance.

“The Court simply holds that under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists… it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints,” McFadden wrote. “The Constitution requires no less.”

According to the ruling, the government admitted the restrictions were specifically tied to the AP’s refusal to refer to the Gulf by its new name. “They are not being selected for Oval Office access because they refuse to adhere to what the President believes is the law of the United States… that the body of water is called the Gulf of America,” government counsel said in a hearing.

McFadden made it clear that the government has authority to restrict access to nonpublic spaces like the Oval Office, but those restrictions must still be reasonable and not based on political or editorial viewpoints.

BREAKING: @AP wins a preliminary injunction against White House over "Gulf of America" flap.

"[I]f the Government opens its doors to some journalists … it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints. The Constitution requires no less." pic.twitter.com/RmxiS23GwP

— Nico Perrino (@NicoPerrino) April 8, 2025

“The Government offers no other plausible explanation for its treatment of the AP,” he wrote. “The Constitution forbids viewpoint discrimination, even in a nonpublic forum like the Oval Office.”

The ruling does not require that all journalists be granted access, but it bars officials from selectively excluding reporters based solely on their opinions or coverage choices.

The court emphasized that senior officials are still free to choose which journalists they speak to and what questions they answer—but not to cut off access completely due to editorial disagreements.