当地时间2月24日，美国法官驳回了美联社要求恢复其对白宫新闻发布会采访权的紧急动议，并下令加快审议此事。随后，白宫和美联社分别就本次裁决发声。
据路透社报道，裁决后，白宫在一份声明中表示，“在椭圆形办公室和空军一号上向美国总统提问是赋予记者的特权，而不是法定权利。”另一方面，美联社发言人表示，该社将“继续捍卫新闻界和公众在不受政府报复的情况下自由发声的权利。”
此前，白宫表示，由于美联社无视“美国湾”合法的地理名称变更，继续使用“墨西哥湾”一词，将无限期禁止美联社记者进入椭圆形办公室和空军一号。对此，美联社以侵犯言论自由为由起诉特朗普政府3名官员。
自1月20日美国总统特朗普签署行政令，将墨西哥湾更名为“美国湾”后，美联社随即声明，作为向全球传播新闻的通讯社，为确保受众能清晰识别地名和地理位置，将继续使用“墨西哥湾”这一传统名称。此后，美联社记者于2月11日起被禁止进入白宫椭圆形办公室参与多项活动。2月14日，白宫更进一步，宣布无限期禁止美联社记者进入白宫椭圆形办公室和美国总统专机“空军一号”。
当地时间2月21日，美联社在哥伦比亚特区联邦地区法院对白宫幕僚长苏珊·怀尔斯、副幕僚长泰勒·布多维奇和白宫新闻秘书卡罗琳·莱维特等三名官员发起诉讼，指控其侵犯言论自由。
A federal judge on Monday denied a request by the Associated Press to immediately restore full access to the news agency's journalists after President Donald Trump's White House barred them from continuing to refer to the Gulf of Mexico in coverage.
U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden, a Trump appointee, denied the AP's request for a temporary injunction restoring its access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and events held at the White House.
The AP said it will continue to fight the issue.
"We look forward to our next hearing on March 20, where we will continue to stand for the right of the press and the public to speak freely without government retaliation," said AP spokesperson Lauren Easton. "This is a fundamental American freedom."
McFadden said the restriction on "more private areas" used by the president differs from prior instances in which courts have blocked government officials from revoking access to journalists.
"I can't say the AP has shown a likelihood of success here," McFadden said during a court hearing.
The judge set an expedited schedule to consider a longer-term order in the case. McFadden said it appeared the White House had discriminated against the AP based on its coverage choices.
"That does feel kind of problematic here," he said.
After the ruling, the White House said in a statement that "asking the President of the United States questions in the Oval Office and aboard Air Force One is a privilege granted to journalists, not a legal right."
A spokesperson for the AP said the news agency will "continue to stand for the right of the press and the public to speak freely without government retaliation."
The AP sued three senior Trump aides on Friday, arguing that the decision to block its reporters from specific locations violates the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment protections against government abridgment of speech by trying to dictate the language they use in reporting the news.
Trump signed an executive order last month directing the U.S. Interior Department to change the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America.
The AP said in January that it would continue to use the gulf's long-established name in stories while also acknowledging Trump's efforts to change it.
Reportedly, the White House is punishing media outlets who don't recognize the executive order to change the name; the Associated Press claims one of its reporters was barred from a Trump event in February.
The White House Correspondents' Association said in a legal brief backing the AP in the case that the ban "will chill and distort news coverage of the president to the public's detriment." Reuters released a statement in support of the AP.
