Judge Refuses To Back Associated Press’ Bid To Regain Access to Trump
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, appointed by President Donald Trump, chose not to issue a temporary restraining order against the administration while acknowledging the pressing nature of the situation. The First Amendment issue stems from Trump’s recent executive order that rebranded the Gulf of Mexico as the
“Gulf of America,” which the Associated Press has refused to adopt.
In defense, administration attorneys contended that no media organization has a constitutional right to special access” to the president. Additionally, on the same day, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to revisit its earlier ruling that permitted buffer zones around abortion clinics, despite opposition from two of the court’s most conservative justices.The court issued two orders on Monday indicating that it would not entertain challenges to legislation in Carbondale, Illinois, and Englewood, New Jersey, which prohibits anti-abortion activists from engaging in “sidewalk counseling” with individuals approaching abortion clinics.
their willingness to consider the case; however, it required the support of four justices to proceed, as reported by The Hill.
In accordance with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Hill v.
Colorado from 2000, lower courts upheld the regulations in both municipalities. This ruling determined that a comparable law in Colorado did not infringe upon the First Amendment.
Since that time, anti-abortion organizations have sought to challenge this precedent. Recently, some conservative justices have characterized the decision as a violation of free speech, particularly in light of the Supreme Court’s ruling that revoked constitutional protections for abortion.
Thomas remarked, “Hill has been seriously undermined, if not completely eroded, and our refusal to provide clarity is an abdication of our judicial duty,” while Alito did not submit a written dissent. Paul Clement, a prominent conservative attorney who previously held the position of solicitor general, stated in the petition contesting Carbondale’s ordinance, “Hill was wrong the day it was decided, and the case for overruling it has only strengthened ever since.”
Neal Katyal, another experienced Supreme Court advocate and former acting solicitor general under President Barack Obama, argued on behalf of the city, ting, “Petitioner wants to fast-track a request that
Despite his ruling, McFadden cautioned that existing legal precedents do not support the administration’s efforts to deny the Associated Press access to press pool events solely based on its refusal to use the term “Gulf of America.” He indicated that the White House may need to reconsider its policies, which currently grant the White House Correspondents’ Association considerable authority in regulating media access for the broader press corps. The Associated Press initiated the lawsuit after its reporters were prohibited from covering Oval Office events and traveling on Air Force One. The outlet has sued three senior White House officials-press secretary Karoline Leavitt, chief of staff Susan Wiles, and deputy chief of staff Taylor Budowich-claiming that the ban violates First and Fifth Amendment rights against governmental interference with press freedoms.
