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。

AfederaljudgeonMondaydeniedarequestbytheAssociatedPresstoimmediatelyrestorefullaccesstothenewsagency'sjournalistsafterPresidentDonaldTrump'sWhiteHousebarredthemfromcontinuingtorefertotheGulfofMexicoincoverage.

U.S.DistrictJudgeTrevorMcFadden,aTrumpappointee,deniedtheAP'srequestforatemporaryinjunctionrestoringitsaccesstotheOvalOffice,AirForceOneandeventsheldattheWhiteHouse.

TheAPsaiditwillcontinuetofighttheissue.

"WelookforwardtoournexthearingonMarch20,wherewewillcontinuetostandfortherightofthepressandthepublictospeakfreelywithoutgovernmentretaliation,"saidAPspokespersonLaurenEaston."ThisisafundamentalAmericanfreedom."

McFaddensaidtherestrictionon"moreprivateareas"usedbythepresidentdiffersfrompriorinstancesinwhichcourtshaveblockedgovernmentofficialsfromrevokingaccesstojournalists.

"Ican'tsaytheAPhasshownalikelihoodofsuccesshere,"McFaddensaidduringacourthearing.

Thejudgesetanexpeditedscheduletoconsideralonger-termorderinthecase.McFaddensaiditappearedtheWhiteHousehaddiscriminatedagainsttheAPbasedonitscoveragechoices.

"Thatdoesfeelkindofproblematichere,"hesaid.

Aftertheruling,theWhiteHousesaidinastatementthat"askingthePresidentoftheUnitedStatesquestionsintheOvalOfficeandaboardAirForceOneisaprivilegegrantedtojournalists,notalegalright."

AspokespersonfortheAPsaidthenewsagencywill"continuetostandfortherightofthepressandthepublictospeakfreelywithoutgovernmentretaliation."

TheAPsuedthreeseniorTrumpaidesonFriday,arguingthatthedecisiontoblockitsreportersfromspecificlocationsviolatestheU.S.Constitution'sFirstAmendmentprotectionsagainstgovernmentabridgmentofspeechbytryingtodictatethelanguagetheyuseinreportingthenews.

TrumpsignedanexecutiveorderlastmonthdirectingtheU.S.InteriorDepartmenttochangethenameoftheGulfofMexicototheGulfofAmerica.

TheAPsaidinJanuarythatitwouldcontinuetousethegulf'slong-establishednameinstorieswhilealsoacknowledgingTrump'seffortstochangeit.

Reportedly,theWhiteHouseispunishingmediaoutletswhodon'trecognizetheexecutiveordertochangethename;theAssociatedPressclaimsoneofitsreporterswasbarredfromaTrumpeventinFebruary.

TheWhiteHouseCorrespondents'AssociationsaidinalegalbriefbackingtheAPinthecasethattheban"willchillanddistortnewscoverageofthepresidenttothepublic'sdetriment."ReutersreleasedastatementinsupportoftheAP.