A federal judge ordered the White House to restore the Associated Press’ full media access to President Donald Trump, ruling that the administration’s effort to ban the news agency because of its coverage violated the First Amendment.

The Trump administration had in February banned AP from presidential coverage after the news agency said it would continue to use the Gulf of Mexico’ after Mr Trump signed an executive order changing the name of the water body surrounding the U.S., Mexico and Cuba to Gulf of America.

The ban meant that AP journalists were removed from the group to cover Mr Trump in the Oval Office or aboard Air Force One, prompting the news agency to approach court to force the administration to reinstate its access to the White House press pool and other official events.

In a ruling on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden agreed with the news agency’s argument that the ban violated the Constitution’s guarantee to freedom of speech, stating that the Trump administration cannot punish a news agency because of its content. 

Mr McFadden, who Mr Trump appointed during his first term in office, subsequently issued a preliminary injunction ordering the White House to “immediately rescind their viewpoint-based denial” of AP from accessing presidential events.

“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,” Mr McFadden ruled.

He added, “The government repeatedly characterises The AP’s request as a demand for ‘extra special access.’ But that is not what The AP is asking for, and it is not what the court orders. All The AP wants, and all it gets, is a level playing field.”

Meanwhile, Mr McFadden paused the preliminary injunction from going into effect until midnight on Sunday, allowing the Trump administration to file an emergency appeal against his decision. 

“Today’s ruling affirms the fundamental right of the press and public to speak freely without government retaliation,” Lauren Easton, a spokesman for AP, said in a statement. “This is a freedom guaranteed for all Americans in the U.S. constitution.”