The White House has stated on Wednesday that its officials will "decide" which media outlets will be able to closely cover President Donald Trump, representing a drastic change from a century of tradition, where a group of independently chosen media followed the president to ask on behalf of the American people.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has announced that they will rotate some traditional media and include some communication services. She presented the change as a modernization of the collective, stating that the measure would be more inclusive and would restore "access to the American people" who chose Trump.
"From now on, the White House press group will be determined by the White House communication team," Leavitt said at a press conference. "A select group of journalists based in Washington should no longer have the monopoly on press access to the White House."
Her statements came a day after a federal judge refused to order the White House to restore The Associated Press' access to several presidential events. The news agency, citing the First Amendment, sued Leavitt and two other White House officials for prohibiting them from covering some presidential events due to their refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico "Gulf of America," as ordered by Trump. The AP stated that their style would maintain the name "Gulf of Mexico" but would also note Trump's decision.
U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden said that the AP had not demonstrated irreparable harm. However, he urged the Trump administration to reconsider its ban.
McFadden's decision is not final. He told lawyers for the Trump administration and the AP that the matter required further investigation before a judgment could be made. Another hearing has been scheduled for late March.
The AP Stylebook is used by both international readers or listeners and those within the United States. The AP stated that its guidelines were provided to promote clarity.
Another executive order by Trump to change the name of the largest mountain in the U.S., back to Mount McKinley after calling it Denali, is being acknowledged by the AP Stylebook. Trump has the authority to do so because the mountain is entirely within the country he oversees, according to the AP.