THE BLAZE – federal judge granted the Associated Press an injunction on April 8, preventing the Trump administration from excluding the liberal publication from press events at the White House.
The ruling, which an attorney for the government suggested “constitutes an unprecedented intrusion into Executive authority,” was celebrated by the liberal publication and others antagonistic of the Trump White House.
The White House’s new policy eliminating the wire spot states that:
- “outlets will be eligible for participation in the Pool, irrespective of the substantive viewpoint expressed by an outlet”;
- “eligible outlets will be chosen for the White House Press Pool on a rotating basis”;
- “wire-based outlets will be eligible for selection as part of the Pool’s daily print-journalist rotation”;
- “the White House Press Secretary shall retain day-to-day discretion to determine composition of the pool”; and
- “the President retains absolute discretion over access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other comparable sensitive spaces.”
The AP and its allies were premature in their celebration.
