A federal judge refused Monday to issue a temporary restriction order for Associated Press in his effort to obtain total access to the Trump administration, asking for more complete information before making a decision.
Associated Press accused Trump’s administration officials to violate their protections of the first amendment by rejecting their access due to their style policy.
The AP was forbidden to access the Oval Office already Air Force One, as it had done in the past, due to its refusal to change its style for the Gulf of Mexico to the “Gulf of America.”
Judge Trevor McFadden told the Court that there were several reasons why he denied the request for a temporary restriction order. He pointed out that there was a difference in the problems of this case and the jurisprudence presented by both parties.
He also questioned the amount of irreparable damage that the AP would suffer since the media can access the same information, whether or not they are in the room where it happened, he argued.
Charles Tobin, Associated Press’s lawyer, argued that there are elements that are reported that they cannot be seen on a television screen and require a journalist to be in the room.
“We are not arguing that the president has to answer Associated Press’s questions,” said Charles Tobin, but access “cannot be denied without due process.”
The judge said he was not willing to “act precipitously” regarding the president’s executive office.
The AP also waited 10 days to present its case, McFadden said.
“I cannot say that the AP has demonstrated a probability of success here,” said the judge.
US prosecutor Brian Hudak argued that the case was about whether the president could decide who has access to him. No one, he said, has “special right to the right.”
“If tomorrow the White House decides to abolish the White House Press pool, they can do it,” said Hudak. “I don’t think that offends the Constitution.”
President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change the name of the water body the “Gulf of America”, but the AP said he will refer to it “by its original name while recognizing the new name that Trump has chosen.”
Trump defended the prohibition of AP journalists at a press conference in Florida last week, directly reference to the choice of departure on how to call the Gulf.
“I just say that we will keep them out until the moment they agree that it is the Gulf of America,” Trump said.
He also criticized the coverage of the exit over him, the elections and the Republican party. Trump said the AP has not made them favors, “and I guess I’m not doing any favor.”
The first amendment of the United States Constitution establishes that Congress will not approve of any law that “encompasses freedom of expression or press.”
The AP filed a lawsuit accusing the government of retaliation against freedom of the press, specifically applying the White House Chief, Susan Wiles, the deputy director of Cabinet Taylor Budowich and press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
“This attack aimed at the editorial independence of the AP and the ability to gather and inform news attacks at the core of the first amendment,” said the news agency. “This court must remedy it immediately.”
