The Trump admin is charging forward with victories. This one in particular is huge.
And the White House has scored a major win that has Democrats throwing a fit.
Trump Administration Wins Court Battle Over AP Access to White House
In a significant legal triumph, President Donald Trump hailed a “big win” on Friday after a federal appeals court granted his administration the authority to bar the Associated Press (AP) from key White House areas, including the Oval Office, amid an ongoing feud over the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in a 2-1 decision, ruled that the White House can restrict AP journalists from accessing sensitive locations such as the Oval Office, Mar-a-Lago, and Air Force One. The ruling overturns a lower court’s decision that had prevented the administration from limiting the AP’s access to spaces typically open to select media.
Trump took to Truth Social to celebrate the outcome, declaring, “Big WIN over AP today. They refused to state the facts or the Truth on the GULF OF AMERICA. FAKE NEWS!!!”
According to CNN, the court’s decision clarifies that certain White House areas are not public forums or open to large press groups, empowering administration officials to selectively grant access to journalists and outlets.
This shift marks a departure from traditional media practices, where access to restricted areas was often coordinated by the White House Correspondents Association.
The dispute traces back to February when the White House revoked the AP’s Oval Office access after the outlet declined to amend its “Associated Press Stylebook” to reflect Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.”
The AP defended its stance, noting that the body of water has been called the Gulf of Mexico for “more than 400 years” and that international bodies have not adopted the new name.
“We are disappointed in the court’s decision and are reviewing our options,” an AP spokesperson said in response to the ruling, signaling potential further legal action.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt praised the decision on X, stating, “VICTORY! As we’ve said all along, the Associated Press is not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations.”
Levitt emphasized that many journalists have never had such access and vowed to expand opportunities for “new media” to cover “the most transparent President in American history.” She added, “And by the way @AP, it’s still the Gulf of America.”
VICTORY!
As we’ve said all along, the Associated Press is not guaranteed special access to cover President Trump in the Oval Office, aboard Air Force One, and in other sensitive locations.
Thousands of other journalists have never been afforded the opportunity to cover the… https://t.co/rML8rgYuQh pic.twitter.com/7OWByTMf0x
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) June 6, 2025
The ruling reshapes the White House press landscape. Typically, hundreds of reporters hold a “hard pass” for access to the briefing room and a press work area.
A smaller group, known as the pool, enjoys closer access to the president at restricted events, allowing for direct questions. Historically, the White House Correspondents Association managed the pool, but the Trump administration assumed control, enabling it to hand-pick participants.
Previously, the AP, alongside Reuters and Bloomberg, had daily access to these events. Now, only one wire service is permitted in the pool each day.
The decision highlights the administration’s push to redefine media access, prioritizing outlets it views as aligned with the truth while challenging institutions like the AP.
As the legal and political saga continues, the outcome could set a precedent for how future administrations interact with the press.
Stay tuned to the Conservative Column.
