The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Court case

Associated Press v. Budowich

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, No. 1:25-cv-00532 (D.D.C.); No. 25-5109 (D.C. Cir.), filed 21 February 2025

Engraving of a bundle of papers tied with ribbon on courthouse steps

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 7 sources.

Caption
Associated Press v. Budowich
Court
U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia; U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit
Court level
trial court
Docket
1:25-cv-00532 (D.D.C.); No. 25-5109 (D.C. Cir.)
Filed
2025-02-21
Decided
2025-06-06
Status
on appeal

What the court held

The district court (Judge Trevor N. McFadden, 2025-04-08) granted a preliminary injunction ordering AP's access restored and then stayed it pending appeal. A D.C. Circuit panel (Judges Pillard, Katsas and Rao, 2025-06-06) granted a partial stay, 2 to 1, holding that the Oval Office, Air Force One, Mar-a-Lago and the Cabinet Room are restricted spaces where access is a matter of presidential discretion, and leaving AP's East Room access in place; Judge Pillard dissented. The full D.C. Circuit denied rehearing en banc on 2025-07-22.1234

Status as of 2026-09-22: On appeal.1234

Incidents

Documents and reporting

  1. Associated Press v. Budowich archived copyWikipedia, reporting. Source record
  2. Associated Press v. BudowichReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, reporting. Source record
  3. The Associated Press v. BudowichKnight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, reporting. Source record
  4. AP sues White House officials over Gulf of America access ban archived copyNPR, 2025-02-21, reporting. Source record
  5. The Associated Press v. Budowich, docket 1:25-cv-00532CourtListener / Free Law Project, 2025-02-21, opinion. Source record
  6. Judge orders AP's Oval Office, Air Force One access restored archived copyNPR, 2025-04-08, reporting. Source record
  7. Associated Press v. Taylor Budowich, opinion archived copyCourtListener / Free Law Project, 2025-06-06, opinion. Source record

Claims and evidence

Each numbered claim quotes the source it rests on.

  1. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden granted a preliminary injunction on April 8, 2025 ordering AP's access restored.rescind the denial of the AP's access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other limited spaces based on the AP's viewpoint when such spaces are made open to other members of the White House press pool.Associated Press v. Taylor Budowich, opinion archived copy, CourtListener / Free Law Project, 2025-06-06.Claim 20, checked 2026-09-22.
  2. A D.C. Circuit panel granted the government's request for a stay pending appeal in part, in a 2-1 decision, on June 6, 2025.On June 6, 2025, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Circuit of the District of Columbia, composed of judges Cornelia Pillard, Gregory G. Katsas, and Neomi Rao, granted in part a stay pending appeal, in a 2-1 decision.Associated Press v. Budowich archived copy, Wikipedia.Claim 21, checked 2026-09-22.
  3. The Court of Appeals left the preliminary injunction in place only as it concerns AP's access to the East Room.Thus, the U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the preliminary injunction to restore AP access only to the extent concerning the East Room.Associated Press v. Budowich archived copy, Wikipedia.Claim 22, checked 2026-09-22.
  4. The case is docketed as Associated Press v. Taylor Budowich, No. 25-5109 in the D.C. Circuit and 1:25-cv-00532-TNM in the district court.Associated Press v. Taylor Budowich, in his official capacity as White House Deputy Chief of Staff, et al.Associated Press v. Taylor Budowich, opinion archived copy, CourtListener / Free Law Project, 2025-06-06.Claim 23, checked 2026-09-22.