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A US federal appeals court ruled that President Donald Trump's administration can temporarily bar The Associated Press (AP) from the Oval Office and other restricted areas, halting a judge's order to restore the wire service's access.

In a 2-1 ruling on Friday, the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia temporarily halted US District Judge Trevor McFadden's April 8 order that declared the AP's exclusion from the press pool illegal, media reports said.

"The White House is likely to succeed on the merits because these restricted presidential spaces are not First Amendment fora opened for private speech and discussion," said Judge Neomi Rao, who is joined by Judge Gregory Katsas, both appointed by Trump.

The judges stated that without a stay, the government would face irreparable harm since the injunction “impinges on the President’s independence and control over his private workspaces.”

McFadden, another Trump appointee, ordered the Trump administration to restore AP’s access to the Oval Office, Air Force One, and other restricted areas reserved for a limited number of officials and journalists.

"Big WIN over AP today. They refused to state the facts or the Truth on the GULF OF AMERICA. FAKE NEWS," Trump wrote on Truth Social after the court decision.

While the First Amendment protects the Associated Press’s right to report freely, "it does not guarantee a right to unfettered access to limited spaces, like the Oval Office and Air Force One," said Taylor Budowich, White House deputy chief of staff, on X.

"This ruling with a great victory for democracy," Budowich added.

The Associated Press expressed disappointment with the decision and said it is currently considering its options.

In February, the AP sued three Trump administration officials after journalists from the news organization were barred from White House events, the Oval Office, and Air Force One for not using "Gulf of America" in its reporting.

"The press and all people in the United States have the right to choose their own words and not be retaliated against by the government. The Constitution does not allow the government to control speech. Allowing such government control and retaliation to stand is a threat to every American’s freedom," AP lawyers stated in the lawsuit.

The suit named White House Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt, and Deputy Chief of Staff Taylor Budowich as defendants.

In April, a federal judge ordered the White House to fully restore The Associated Press’s access to presidential events.