Trump Defies Supreme Court AP Excluded from White House Coverage
Despite a federal court ruling mandating equal access for journalists, Donald Trump is deliberately disregarding the First Amendment by excluding the Associated Press (AP) from the White House press pool. On Monday, AP journalists were denied entry to cover a meeting between Trump and El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, prompting a statement from the AP demanding their reinstatement according to the court’s injunction.
This ongoing conflict stems from a February 2025 incident where Trump barred the AP from accessing the Oval Office and Air Force One after the agency refused to adopt his controversial renaming of the Gulf of Mexico as the “Gulf of America.” The AP subsequently filed a lawsuit, contending that Trump’s actions violated constitutional protections for free press.
The latest denial of access signals an alarming escalation in Trump’s authoritarian tactics to control media narratives. His administration has also displayed a blatant disregard for other court orders, particularly those addressing harsh immigration policies, further undermining the rule of law and contributing to an ongoing constitutional crisis.
Such aggressive attempts to intimidate the press illustrate Trump’s broader objective: to manipulate and suppress independent journalism that does not align with his interests. This troubling behavior raises serious concerns about the future of free speech and press freedom in America.
Unless there are consequences for these constitutional violations, Trump’s actions represent a significant threat to democratic principles, highlighting the urgent need for accountability in the face of blatant disregard for the judicial system.
(h/t: https://www.yahoo.com/news/trump-openly-defies-court-order-202132432.html)