The White House told a court that live ASL interpretation at President Trump and Karoline Leavitt’s briefings would "intrude" on the president’s control of his image, an argument raised by DOJ lawyers in a suit filed by the National Association for the Deaf. U.S. District Judge Amir Ali ordered real-time interpreters, finding captions and transcripts insufficient, and the administration has appealed. Advocates note the Biden team routinely arranged short-notice interpreters and say failing to provide ASL access can constitute discrimination. The case is now pending before the D.C. Circuit.
White House Says Live ASL Would ‘Intrude’ On Trump’s Image; Judge Orders Interpreters, Case Heads To Appeals
The White House has advanced an unusual legal argument in a lawsuit brought by the National Association for the Deaf (NAD), asserting that providing live American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation at press briefings would "severely intrude on the President's prerogative to control the image he presents to the public," according to Department of Justice filings.
Judge Orders Real-Time Interpretation
Last month, U.S. District Judge Amir Ali rejected the White House's contention that closed captions and post-event transcripts are sufficient and ordered the administration to provide real-time ASL interpretation for briefings by President Donald Trump and press secretary Karoline Leavitt. Judge Ali wrote that if the defendants "prefer to act free from association with accessibility for people with disabilities, their gripe is with Congress" and federal anti-discrimination laws.
Appeal And Ongoing Dispute Over Scope
The Trump administration immediately appealed Ali's ruling. Since the injunction, the White House has arranged interpreters for some events, but the parties disagree about when interpreters must be provided. The administration asked the court to limit the order to events announced at least 24 hours in advance, arguing that unplanned Q&A or impromptu remarks could create logistical problems. Judge Ali pushed back, explaining the order requires officials to "take all reasonable steps" to provide interpretation when they know in advance that the president or press secretary will deliver information or take questions.
Advocates And Precedent
Advocates note that the Biden administration routinely provided ASL interpreters for events announced on short notice, sometimes less than an hour before remarks, illustrating that rapid arrangements are feasible. Brittany Shrader, director of legal services at the National Association of the Deaf Law and Advocacy Center, emphasized that federal disability laws do not require proof of animus to establish discrimination: the failure to provide access can itself be discriminatory.
"The disability laws don't require a showing of animus or ill will toward people with disabilities to prove discrimination. The laws require that the White House provide access and the failure to provide that access is itself discrimination," Shrader said.
History And Next Steps
The NAD previously sued during Trump's first term over the lack of ASL interpretation during the COVID-19 pandemic; that earlier litigation did not include the current "image control" argument. The new lawsuit, filed in May, names President Trump, Karoline Leavitt and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles as defendants. Both the NAD and the White House are awaiting action from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, which will decide whether to uphold or stay Judge Ali's order.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told POLITICO that "the Administration is in compliance with" the judge's November order. The White House did not provide additional comment when asked to clarify its position on the scope of required interpretation services.
