Federal Judge Trevor N. McFadden has been assigned the case against three officials in President Donald Trump’s administration by The Associated Press (AP), due to what they claim to be a potential First Amendment violation. McFadden was nominated to the court by Trump in 2017.
Newsweek reached out to the White House via email on Friday regarding the lawsuit brought by the AP.
Why It Matters
The AP is suing White House Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, and White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles suggesting that the White House unlawfully restricted journalists from press events.
The lawsuit comes as the AP refuses to acknowledge the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America, a move Trump demanded in an executive order.
What To Know
Judge McFadden previously worked at the Department of Justice and in private practice in Washington, D.C. Trump nominated McFadden to the United States District Court for the District of Columbia in 2017 and then was confirmed by the Senate in a vote of 84-10.
After Trump’s executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, the AP said it would not abide by the change since the body of water “has carried that name for more than 400 years.”
The AP spokesperson Lauren Easton previously told Newsweek that, “Freedom of speech is a pillar of American democracy and a core value of the American people. The White House has said it supports these principles. The actions taken to restrict AP’s coverage of presidential events because of how we refer to a geographic location chip away at this important right enshrined in the U.S. Constitution for all Americans.”
What People Are Saying
Media strategist Jason Kint said on X (formerly Twitter) on Friday: “Good. The Associated Press, one of the world’s oldest and most trusted news orgs, having participated in the White House press pool for more than a century, is suing the White House Press Secretary and Chief of Staff for violating our 1st and 5th Amendments.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt when asked by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins about the decision to bar the AP from events in part: “Well, first of all let me just set the record straight. It is a privilege to cover this White House, it’s a privilege to be the White House Press Secretary. Nobody has the right to go into the Oval Office and ask the President of the United States questions. Thats an invitation that is given.”
Leavitt added: “There are hundreds of outlets on this campus, many of you in this room who don’t have the privilege of being part of that pool every single day and getting to ask the president questions.” Later continuing, “We reserve the right to decide who gets to go into the Oval Office.”
Former Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg told Newsweek via X: “Judges are expected to act independently of the person who appointed them, which is why it is not an automatic conflict of interest for a judge to oversee such a case. Judge Aileen Cannon, who was appointed by President Trump, seemed to rule for Trump on nearly every instance in the Mar a Lago documents case. Yet there wasn’t even a motion for recusal by the government against her. It is a very high bar to recuse a judge.”
What Happens Next
The AP has requested an emergency hearing related to their lawsuit, according to court documents.
Update 2/21/25 8:23 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with comment from Dave Aronberg.
Correction: 2/22/25, 1:29 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with the correct spelling of Kaitlan Collins’ name.
