Dear friends,
On July 20, 2025, it will be six months since Donald Trump returned to the Oval Office. After an avalanche of increasingly outrageous statements, the initial shock is fading. But his attacks on the free press are not slowing down β on the contrary, they are becoming more organised, aggressive and institutionalised. His administration is displaying an increasingly hostile stance toward the media, reminiscent of authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes around the world.
President Trump has never hidden his disdain for the press. But since returning to power, he is no longer just criticising the media β he is actively working against it.
Trump is waging a war on the press by undermining the pillars of independent journalism. He has actively obstructed public access to information and adequate funding for reliable outlets β and he overtly disrespects news professionals. Like any authoritarian leader, he seeks to weaken, intimidate and punish reliable reporters who question his narrative. Here are three concrete examples:
Like Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who proclaimed himself the βworldβs coolest dictator,β President Trump is weaponising the legal system against the media. He has launched multiple lawsuits against news outlets for publishing content he deems unfavourable. This legal harassment strategy is known as lawfare.
Like Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoΔan, he tolerates β and at times fuels β violence against journalists. This became very apparent during the protests against Trumpβs ultra-repressive immigration policies, when reporters covering the demonstrations were physically attacked.
Like Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump is shaping the official narrative by imposing his wording preferences on journalists. In February 2025, his administration ordered the Gulf of Mexico to be renamed "Gulf of America." While some online platforms like Google Maps complied, the Associated Press (AP) news agency resisted β and its journalists were then barred from the Oval Office.
