Ap Again Seeks End Of Its White House Ban, Saying The Trump Administration Is Retaliating Further

The Associated Press is asking a federal judge for a second time to immediately restore its access to presidential events, arguing that the Trump White House has doubled down on retaliating against the news outlet for its refusal to follow the president's executive order that renamed the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden last week refused AP's request for an injunction to lift the ban against many of its reporters and photographers. But McFadden noted that case law weighed against the White House, and urged the administration to reconsider before a scheduled second hearing on March 20.

In an amended lawsuit filed late Monday, AP cited continued instances of journalists turned away - including a photographer not allowed on the West Palm Beach airport tarmac to document Air Force One's arrival - and the White House's decision to fully take control over membership of the pool that covers the president at smaller events.

"The net result is that the AP's press credentials now provide its journalists less access to the White House than the same press credentials provide to all members of the White House press corps," the amended lawsuit argues.

The Trump administration did not immediately return a request for comment on Tuesday morning.