Overview
- The Justice Department argues mandatory American Sign Language services would intrude on the president’s ability to control his public image and force him to share his platform.
- The National Association of the Deaf sued in May, asserting that ending routine interpreters denies deaf Americans meaningful, real-time access to White House communications.
- A judge in November required live ASL for remarks by President Trump and Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, with Salon reporting the mandate covers events with advance notice.
- The administration has begun using interpreters at some events but disputes which appearances and formats the order covers, including spontaneous question-and-answer sessions.
- Government lawyers point to captions and transcripts as alternatives, while the case proceeds on appeal to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.