U.S. District Judge Trevor N. McFadden, a Trump appointee, on Tuesday ordered the White House to restore full access to presidential events to the Associated Press, citing First Amendment issues.

President Donald Trump cut off the AP's access to presidential events when the outlet refused to call the renamed Gulf of America by its correct name, choosing instead to continue calling it the Gulf of Mexico.

McFadden ruled that the government can't retaliate against the AP because of its decision to do so.

"Under the First Amendment, if the Government opens its doors to some journalists—be it to the Oval Office, the East Room, or elsewhere—it cannot then shut those doors to other journalists because of their viewpoints," McFadden wrote. "The Constitution requires no less."

Verifiable misinformation

Never mind that the AP has gone beyond a "viewpoint" to actual, verifiable misinformation in telling people the body of water has a name that it doesn't have.

McFadden delayed the rule for a week to give the White House time to appeal or otherwise respond.

The AP does have sporadic access to cover events in the East Room but has been blocked from covering Air Force One or the Oval Office since February 11.

"We are gratified by the court's decision," AP spokeswoman Lauren Easton said. "Today's ruling affirms the fundamental right of the press and public to speak freely without government retaliation. This is a freedom guaranteed for all Americans in the U.S. Constitution."

No guarantee of access

McFadden did say that the AP is not guaranteed unconditional access to the president through this ruling.

"The Court does not order the government to grant the AP permanent access to the Oval Office, the East Room or any other media event," he wrote. "It does not bestow special treatment upon the AP. Indeed, the AP is not necessarily entitled to the 'first in line every time' permanent press pool access it enjoyed under the (White House Correspondents Association). But it cannot be treated worse than its peer wire service either."

Of course, so-called First Amendment groups twisted the decision to mean exactly that and refused to admit that the AP was misinforming people in its language.

"This is an important decision," Katie Fallow, deputy litigation director at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said. "The First Amendment means the White House can't ban news outlets from covering the president simply because they don't parrot his preferred language. "

This comment refuses to recognize that Trump made an order changing the name of the body of water, and that his order is binding. It isn't "preferred language," its factual language that the AP stubbornly refuses to follow.

Furthermore, as the White House argued, a court should not and does not have the right to tell POTUS who to allow to interview him.