Press Access Controversy: AP vs. The White House

The Associated Press accuses President Trump's aides of defying a court order to restore press access after alleged retaliatory actions. A federal judge had ruled the White House unlawfully restricted AP's access over its coverage, igniting a legal battle over free speech protections.

The Associated Press has accused President Donald Trump's aides of defying a legal order to restore its access to White House press events, raising concerns about press freedom. The AP claims it has been excluded from the press pool, despite a judge's ruling that it faced unlawful retaliation.

U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden found that the White House discriminated against the AP for using 'Gulf of Mexico' in its reports, against Trump's directive for 'Gulf of America'. This decision likely breached free speech rights under the U.S. Constitution, according to the court.

The White House's new policy removing wire services' permanent spot in the press pool has drawn criticism from both AP and Reuters. They argue that the policy is a clear violation of the court order, impacting global news services and financial markets that rely on these real-time reports.

(With inputs from agencies.)