His MAGA-Sty Trump is ‘Wielding Power to Stifle Speech’ – According to a New York Times Exposé

The 2026 midterm elections are now less than two months away. And every day as it approaches Donald Trump and his MAGA Republican Party are descending ever deeper into the Mariana Trench of disapproval. Trump’s polling is already worse than at any time during either of his occupations of the White House.

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King Donald Trump in the Oval Office.

Under ordinary circumstance, a politician with such abysmal ratings prior to an election would seek to broaden his support and adopt positions that had greater appeal to voters. But there is nothing ordinary about Trump. And Trump doesn’t even seem to believe that he is doing poorly.

SEE THIS: Delusional Trump: ‘My REAL Polling Numbers Are the Best They Have Ever Been’ – OK Grandpa

Instead of searching for ways to attract voters, Trump is searching for ways to silence his critics. Suppression of dissent has been a core feature of Trump’s (p)residency. Throughout his time in office he has shown a seething hatred for the free press and the Constitution that protects it. He files lawsuits against media companies, bans reporters from public events, and lobs personal at insults journalists, especially women.

The New York has been one of Trump’s perennial targets. Veteran Times correspondent Maggie Haberman has been viciously attacked by Trump, who refers to her in his typically infantile manner as “Maggot Hagerman.” And now the Times has published an analysis of Trump’s dysfunctional relationship with the media that he calls, in Stalinist terms, “the enemy of the people.”

The article’s headline is How Trump Is Wielding Power to Stifle Speech.” And Haberman is a co-author (along with Jim Rutenberg) so expect a Trump feakout. It begins by describing Trump’s anti-media agenda as “a sweeping campaign to control speech in America.” Then elaborates saying that…

“Regulatory agencies are using their powers to pressure media organizations over their content. The administration has stripped funding from public television and radio. Angry over stories he does not like, President Trump has sued major news organizations and the White House has taken control of the previously independent press pool that tracks the president, deciding which outlets can participate.” […]

“Driven by personal pique, fury over leaks and a determination to shape the political narrative to his advantage, Mr. Trump is deploying the might of the federal government and filing personal lawsuits — targeting not just journalists and liberal critics, but also comedians and talk show hosts, and the corporate entities behind them.”

Indeed, Trump has already filed numerous meritless lawsuits intended to censor and/or intimidate the press. In addition to the Times, his targets have included the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, ABC News, CBS News, CNN, and even the Pulitzer Prize board, who dared to give awards to media that wrote honest stories about Trump’s failures and crimes.

Furthermore, the article’s claim that Trump has “taken control of the previously independent press pool” was affirmed by Trump’s own press secretary in an unprecedented move to improperly dominate the communications that come from the White House to the people.

MORE HERE: Trump Declares Himself King of the White House Press Corps, Will Now Decide Who Can Question Him

The Times’ article went to reveal that, according to the international media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders, “The United States now ranks at its lowest since the organization started the index in 2002 — 64th.” An executive director of the organization says that “There’s not a week that goes by where they’re not taking a new step to curtail press freedom in the country.”

It’s safe to assume that, as Trump continues to flounder, this will only get worse. His animosity toward the media, and his festering narcissism, virtually guarantee that he will exhibit ever more severe symptoms of his media-averse depravity. It would helpful if the media would stand up for itself more often and more vigorously.

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Trump’s FCC Boss (Fascist Communications Czar) Tells Fox News He is ‘Looking Into’ Fake Polls

In the decade that Donald Trump has been in politics, he has distinguished himself as the most media averse president of all time. He has taken unprecedented actions to censor the free press, insulted journalists for doing their jobs, and whined incessantly about his paranoid perception of being a victim of what he routinely calls the “fake news.”

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Donald Trump and Media - ABC, CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, FOX

Recently Trump was ticked off by a segment on Meet the Press during which the host, Kristen Welker, accurately pointed out that Trump’s record of endorsements was a “mixed bag” due to many of his preferred candidates losing their primary races. In response to Welker’s reporting Trump proposed a vengeful penalty that he has no legal authority to dispense.

SEE THIS: Wannabe Fascist Dictator Trump is Reporting Meet the Press Host to His FCC – For ‘Punishment’?

Trump’s proposal was typical of his hyperactive overreach that demonstrates his ignorance of, and disrespect for, the Constitution and its First Amendment protection for the free press. Neither he nor his FCC have any jurisdiction to punish journalists, particularly when they are right.

On Sunday morning Trump and his nursemaid, Natalie Harp, were busy with what he regards as his primary presidential duties of posting goofy memes on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. They included AI slopix of himself horseback riding with George Washington, Robert De Niro with a Trump t-shirt, renaming New Mexico to New America, Joe Biden in a Trump hat, Trump as Hulk Hogan, and 31 more deranged fantasies. I sure hope hope it doesn’t cut into his golf game.

Meanwhile, Trump’s FCC boss, Brendan Carr, was on Fox News doing what he does best: disseminating Trumpist propaganda. Carr was interviewed by Fox’s Peter Doocy who asked whether Trump had actually reported Welker to him for her punishment. Carr began his reply with a tediously long word salad that had nothing to do with the question. But he eventually weaved his way back to provide an answer that came a little closer to being responsive.

“There is a lot of interest right now in fake polls that are out there. So the FCC may put guidance out soon to remind broadcasters about their obligations with respect to not airing fake polls. Particularly if they’re done to suppress people heading into the fall.”

FCC Chair Brendan Carr on Trump calling for Kristen Welker to receive "punishment" for accurately saying he has a mixed record on endorsements: "I think President Trump is over the target, and we are looking at a lot of actions"

Aaron Rupar (@atrupar.com) 2026-09-06T15:19:13.294Z

WTF is he talking about? The FCC has no role whatsoever in the collection of data, or subsequent results of, public polling. It cannot make determinations as to whether they are accurate or fake. And it definitely can’t enforce any sort of “guidance” as to how they are conducted or reported. The FCC is not an official censorship agency that can muzzle the media. Particularly if it’s done to suppress information from people heading into the fall.

Broadcasters have no “obligations” as to how they report polls, outside of their own standards and practices set by their editors and executives. The worst parties to assume that authority would be those in government. That’s how dictatorships control the media and suppress the freedom that American journalists have had for 250 years.

Trump and Carr are behaving like the tyrannical despots they admire in Russia, China, and North Korea. However, the only people that should be subject to punishment are Trump and his White House flunkies who are violating the Constitution.

Trump’s obsession with what he calls fake polls stems from his knowledge that those polls are accurate. And illegally obstructing broadcasters from reporting on them doesn’t change the facts that they represent. Trump and his criminal regime are broadly despised and they are going down.

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Wannabe Fascist Dictator Trump is Reporting Meet the Press Host to His FCC – For ‘Punishment’?

The most media averse president in the history of the United States, Donald Trump, is once again demonstrating his inbred hostility to the free press and the Constitution that explicitly protects it in the very First Amendment.

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Donald Trump

What America’s founders saw as an indispensable facet of freedom and democracy, Trump sees as “the enemy of the people,” a phrase that he borrowed from Joseph Stalin. He insults journalists personally in the most vile and infantile manner, and disparages the entire industry as “fake News.” It’s another symptom of the severe delusional impairment that permeates everything he does or says.

SEE THIS: Delusional Trump Whines that Americans are ‘Angry at Republicans, But They’re Not Angry At Me’

On Sunday morning Trump was busy doing what he regards as his presidential duties: posting deranged rants on his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social. And true to form, many of those rants concerned the media that he despises. Consequently, he led off with a short harangue whining that

“THE FAKE POLLS USED BY OUR CROOKED MEDIA ARE OUT OF CONTROL, AND SOMETHING MUST BE DONE ABOUT IT. FCC TO THE RESCUE!”

That’s right. Trump is outraged by all the polls that show him floundering in the depths of the Mariana Trench of Disapproval. To be sure, he has sunk to record lows in virtually every poll, and continues to trend downward. So now he insists that “SOMETHING MUST BE DONE,” and that it’s up to his FCC (Fascist Communications Commission) to do it. You might ask, “To do what?” Well, he got to that in a subsequent comment that is too long and tedious to repost. So here are a couple of relevant excerpts…

“Kristen Welker, the Unpopular ‘Hostess’ of the once great Meet the Press, now considered Meet the Fake Press, just stated that Donald Trump has ‘mixed results’ on his Endorsements […] Because of this purposeful inaccuracy, she will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment. Unfortunately, she is not the only one. The Radical Left News is going out of their way to harass, demean, and libel anything ‘TRUMP.’ […] The Press is a Disgrace to our Nation, and I hope that Chairman Brendan Carr, and the fine people of his Commission, will take this Threat to our Country very seriously.”

And there you have it. Hall monitor Trump says that Welker “will be reported to the FCC for rebuke or punishment.” Then what? Will she have to stay after school? Will she get 20 whacks? Or will she be deported to a gulag in El Salvador?

Welker’s alleged offense was that she accurately reported that many of Trump’s recent endorsed candidates have met with defeat. In fact, that was what comprised most of Trump’s endless comment that was primarily him bragging about his “99% SUCCESS Rate on Endorsements.” What he fails to mention is that the vast majority of them were for Republican candidates in Republican primaries, many of whom had no viable opponent.

Trump also doesn’t distinguish between endorsements from months or years ago, and the more recent endorsements that have fared poorly, consistent with his devastating descent in the polls. Maybe someone should him about his “success” with Pillow Man Mike Lindell in Minnesota. Even Darline Graham Nordone, his endorsee in South Carolina, barely held onto a lead to replace her late brother Lindsey in the Senate.

Whether Welker was accurate or not is beside the point. Trump and his FCC don’t have any legal authority to dispense “rebuke or punishment” to the press for what they consider to be inaccuracies. There is, however, a civil process for recovering damages in the event of defamation. Fox News found out about that when they were forced to pay a $787 million settlement to Dominion Software for lying about the 2020 presidential election being “rigged and stolen” from Trump.

Trump, on the other hand, has zero evidence of any defamatory dishonesty on the part of Welker or NBC. This is just another attempt on his part to bully the media into submission for not gushing adoringly over him every minute of every day. And Trump may be especially angry with Welker. He walked out of a recent interview with her because he couldn’t handle her entirely reasonable questions.

MORE HERE: Big Baby Trump Flees Like a Frightened Fowl From Scary Meet the Press Host Kristen Welker

Finally, Trump’s “hope that [FCC] Chairman Brendan Carr…take this Threat to our Country very seriously,” is his clumsily covert way of issuing orders to the flunkies on his team to bring their fascist hammer down on the free press. It’s a tactic that he has learned from his idols Vladimir Putin of Russia, and Kim Jong Un of North Korea.

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WHAT 1ST AMENDMENT? Trump Regime Threatens NYT Journalists to Compel Them to Give Up Sources

The hostility that Donald Trump has for the free press is nothing new. He has been referring to the media in Stalinist terms as “the enemy of the people” for years. And he viciously attacks reporters and news organizations every day simply because they are doing their jobs.

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Donald Trump, Constitution

Trump actually has a perverse love/hate relationship with the media. He hates them when they report the truth about him. But he loves being the center of attention. He never lets his aversion to the Constitution’s protection of the free press get in the way of his exploitation of it. While he blames it for all of his problems, he also clings to positive news about himself, if he’s making it up…

SEE THIS: Delusional Donald: Does Trump Really Believe He’s Ultra Popular with Record High Approval Ratings?

Trump’s assault on the First Amendment has taken many disturbing forms. He frequently sues journalists and media companies as a means of punishing them for their honest reporting. And he orders his federal agencies to clamp down on companies that have the audacity to reveal his personal and professional flaws. Which is what just happened with his “Justice” Department issuing subpoenas to several New York Times reporters. As reported by the Times

“The Trump administration issued subpoenas on Friday to several journalists for The New York Times, after the news outlet reported this week on security concerns involving President Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One. […] The subpoenas — which seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan on Wednesday — were an extraordinary escalation in President Trump’s efforts to threaten and intimidate independent news organizations.”

The Times noted that “the subpoenas contain few specifics,” other than demanding that the journalists testify before a Grand Jury “in regard to an alleged violation of federal criminal law” having something to do with a Times story about Trump departing Turkey on the “old” Air Force One because of “a security precaution at the urging of the Secret Service.”

Trump’s press office responded to the Times’story by insisting that it was false. It was, however, a legitimate story that exposed the carelessness of the Trump administration and it’s lack of concern for operational security. They claimed that Trump switched planes and diverted the new Qatari bribe jet to a military base in England because some soldiers there really wanted to see it (yeah, right).

Therefore, any allegation that the Times broke a law, or that the leaker did, is moot. You can’t be accused of leaking sensitive or classified information if what you wrote wasn’t actually sensitive or classified. And according to the Trump propaganda team it wasn’t. So either Trump and company are lying, or there was no violation of the law.

What’s more, the Times’ story was published after Trump switched to the properly secured Air Force One from the Qatari bribe jet, and was already safely at home. and you can’t be accused of endangering the president if what you wrote was published entirely after the fact, and there was no risk to the president.

To the contrary, the Times actually made the president safer by insuring that the Qatari jet would not be used by the president unless and until it is properly upgraded to Secret Service standards. Consequently, the Times responded to the subpoenas in a blunt statement by their attorney, David McCraw:

“The appearance of federal law enforcement agents on the doorstep of news reporters should shock the conscience of any American who believes in the Constitution and the press freedom it protects. Our journalists report the facts and advance the American public’s right to know how their government is operating and their taxpayer dollars are being used. This brazen act should be seen as nothing more than an attempt to prevent the public from knowing what is happening in their country by intimidating journalists from doing their jobs.”

The morning after this legal brouhaha Trump once again lashed out at the media. He posted a tediously long and incoherent comment on his dedicated propaganda platform, Truth Social, attacking New York Times reporters, Maggie Haberman and Jonathan Swan, in his typically infantile manner, saying in part that…

“Maggot Hagerman has covered me incorrectly for ten years. Her book is a joke! 90% of it is Fake News…Maggot is a loser! […] Anyway, don’t buy their book, it’s garbage!”

For the record, Haberman and Swan’s book “Regime Change” is currently #1 on Amazon. Trump went on in this comment to boast that he has “just finished a perfect physical at Walter Reed, I do it every six months, and I requested another Cognitive Test.” There are reasons that he needs to take annual physicals three or four times a year, along with repeated cognitive tests. Doctors wouldn’t do them if he wasn’t showing signs of mental impairment.

Trump followed up that comment with an even longer and less coherent harangue, whining about “The Failing New York Times,” along with the Wall Street Journal, MS NOW, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. Adding that they should all just say that “We give up, we can’t beat him.” Which is wishful thinking on his part. He wouldn’t be freaking out this badly if he weren’t really afraid of losing the upcoming midterm elections and finding himself under investigation by Democrats in Congress who intend to hold him accountable for his multitude of crimes. for a change.

UPDATE: The Justice Department has withdrawn their bogus subpoenas in advance of the court ruling to quash them as violations of the Constitution’s First Amendment.

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WHAT 1ST AMENDMENT? Snowflake Trump Takes Credit For Canceling “DUMB” (With a B) Stephen Colbert

The tender sensitivities of Donald Trump, and his massive yet fragile ego, continue to shine through the facade of bombast and bullying that he likes to put forward. His macho image of himself – setting aside his affinity for The Village People and muscular MMA fighters – is as fake as his layers of orange pancake makeup and B-52 hairstyles.

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Donald Trump, Constitution

Trump’s hyper-mushiness is often expressed by his lashing out at journalists and other media figures. It can be seen whenever he is asked a question he can’t answer and resorts to insulting the reporter as a means of dodging the question. And it’s particularly true with regard to comedians who wound his smug pride with ample servings of satire and well-deserved mockery.

SEE THIS: Trump Brags About Getting Fascist Control of the Media in Bonkers Truth Social Post

On Sunday night Trump unloaded yet another lambasting of his perceived enemies, both political and humorous. In a comment posted to his failing Twitter ripoff, Truth Social, Trump lauded himself for allegedly ending the careers of several of his archfoes, including Stephen Colbert. Trump bragged that…

“In the last two weeks I’ve taken out many bad Political ‘Leaders’ and Pundits including Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, Lightweight ‘Congressman’ Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Brad Raffensperger of Georgia, REALLY DUMB Stephen Colbert of CBS, and others.”

Whad'ya know? Trump is admitting he had a role in Stephen Colbert being canceled, something he previously denied, and CBS said was just a financial decision.Plus he says he's also going after the other late night hosts. And finally, he says this is how he is "working so hard for our country" ???

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2026-06-02T07:40:34.959Z

That’s right. Trump is taking credit for the cancellation of “DUMB” (with a “B”) Stephen Colbert. Which is peculiar because he has previously denied having much, if anything, to do with it. In a post on Truth Social in July of last year Trump claimed that Colbert was fired due to “lack of talent” and CBS’s unverified assertion that the number one rated show lost $50 million dollars a year…

“Everybody is saying that I was solely responsible for the firing of Stephen Colbert from CBS, Late Night. That is not true! The reason he was fired was a pure lack of TALENT, and the fact that this deficiency was costing CBS $50 Million Dollars a year in losses.”

Trump’s tirade also included a tribute to himself saying that “It is my Honor to be working so hard for our Country!” Exactly! Because, as everyone knows, canceling Colbert is the best way to lower costs for gas, and groceries, and housing, and healthcare.

And that’s on top of the many economic benefits that come from building vanity ballrooms, staging UFC fights at the White House, paying $1.8 billion to reward violent seditionists, minting $250.00 bills with Trump’s face on them, and, of course. starting wars against Middle East countries without any reason or exit strategy.

The worst part of this assumption of credit by Trump is that he is affirming his intention to do away with the free speech rights and press freedoms embedded in the First Amendment to the Constitution. He actually believes that he has the power to dictate what can or cannot be aired on television. And sadly, too many of the billionaires who own the media are all too willing to capitulate to him for fear and/or greed.

However, that weakness will only work for so long. And the time is coming when they will learn the hard way that capitulation not only feeds Trump’s hunger for power, it alienates audiences who will revolt against the traitorous complicity in the corporate media’s embrace of MAGA-style fascism.

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SUNDOWNING? Trump’s Acute Paranoia Now Extends to His Own White House Staff and Cabinet

The escalating severity of Donald Trump’s psychoses is presenting the nation and the world with unprecedented risks and challenging options for addressing them. While he has always been a malignant narcissist and pathological liar, he is now exhibiting signs of even more dangerous mental impairments that threaten to undermine American democracy.

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Trump Fear

Exacerbating Trump’s declining emotional trauma are the polls showing him at record lows. Those abysmal numbers apply to his overall approval, as well as his handling of virtually every issue of significance to the American people, including the war in Iran, tariffs, healthcare, Social Security, housing, and the economy. And yet he is glaringly delusional as to his standing with the public.

SEE THIS: Trump is APPALLED that Nobody is Talking About a CNN Poll With 100% Approval – That Doesn’t Exist

This week it became even more obvious how grave Trump’s descent into madness is. He has developed a debilitating case of paranoia. He is suspicious of everyone with whom he comes in contact. And he is convinced that everyone from journalists, to comedians, to politicians, and even his own staff, are plotting to destroy him. But there may be some truth to the old adage that “Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean everybody isn’t out to get you.”

One particularly revealing example is that Trump’s Chief of Staff, Susie Wiles, just distributed a memo threatening the entire White House staff to refrain from leaking anything to the press. She wrote that…

“No staff member within the Executive Office of the President is permitted to speak with members of the news media without the explicit approval of the White House Communications Office. […] Unauthorized leaks will not be tolerated and are subject to sanction up to and including termination.”

In a hilarious feast of irony, that email was, of course, instantly leaked to the press. Apparently there are moles in the White House. And among them are likely to be Wiles and Trump himself. The Wiles threat memo is a blatant contradiction of the claims by Trump’s communications staff that he is the most transparent president ever. To the contrary, he may be the most secretive. Although he preens before the media scrum with uncommon frequency, that can’t be described as transparency if all he does is lie and dodge. For instance, Trump still refuses to release all of the unredacted Epstein files.

What’s more, Wiles decrees that “Unauthorized leaks will not be tolerated.” So then only “authorized leaks” will be allowed? Another way of saying “authorized leaks” is “propaganda.” And the press really should stop disseminating it.

The paranoid state of Trump appears to be serving as a role model for his Cabinet. Last week Trump’s FBI boss, Kash Patel was so outraged by a critical article written about him that he launched an investigation of the author, Sarah Fitzpatrick, and ordered polygraph tests of his senior staff and security detail.

MORE HERE: Trump’s FBI Boss, Kash Patel, Goes After the Reporter Who Exposed Him as an Incompetent Lush

There are additional examples of Trump regime paranoia in his “Justice” Department, where he has directed his Attorneys General (first Pam Bondi and now Todd Blanche) to initiate probes and indictments of anyone who was ever affiliated with an investigation of Trump’s criminal activities, including James Comey, John Brennan, Jerome Powell, Letitia James, and even several members of Congress. He has also orchestrated a massive purge of DoJ lawyers, crippling the Department’s ability to engage in efficient law enforcement.

And through it all, Trump remains focused on the issues that have always mattered most to him – Himself! Although his incompetent attempts at self-exaltation continue to be more humiliating than complimentary…

Trump's post is from a month old poll by the ultra right-wing Napolitan News Service (aka Rasmussen). The question is absurd. Nobody wants Iran to have nukes.In a more recent Napolitan poll, "Only 34% of voters favored the attacks on Iran, while 59% opposed them."

News Corpse (@newscorpse.bsky.social) 2026-05-09T16:44:23.966Z

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ABC Accuses Trump’s Fascist Communications Commission (FCC) of Violating the First Amendment

The ongoing crusade by Donald Trump to erase all remnants of the Constitution, and particularly it’s First Amendment protections of freedom of the press, is perhaps the most prominent and dangerous feature of his MAGA cult movement. His authoritarian aspirations, and fear of the tenets of democracy, are the driving factors in his relentless pursuit of power.

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Donald Trump, Constitution

To that end, Trump has been directing his Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to adopt profoundly disturbing new rules regarding “Equal Time” as a means to quash any criticism he receives on television from talk show hosts and their guests. His unambiguous aim is to assume total control over what the American people are permitted to see and hear on TV and other media.

SEE THIS: Trump’s FCC Threatens to Change ‘Equal Time’ Rules to Suppress the Free Speech of Trump Critics

The latest skirmish in Trump’s War on America comes from an unlikely combatant. ABC News, the producer of “The View” has announced that it is challenging the attempts by Trump’s FCC to dictate what they are allowed to say and who they are allowed to interview. This comes after Trump’s FCC Chairman, Brendan Carr, threatened the show and the network with revoking the licenses of their affiliate stations. According to the New York Times

“ABC has accused the Federal Communications Commission of violating its free speech rights, potentially setting the stage for a protracted, high-stakes legal battle between the network and the Trump administration.

“The company said in a filing with the agency that regulators had a ‘chilling effect’ on free speech by trying to punish political content they disagreed with. The filing, made public on Friday, is the most aggressive defense from any television network since President Trump kicked off an extended campaign last year to bring media organizations to heel.”

What makes ABC’s stance surprising is that they previously capitulated to Trump when he filed a meritless defamation lawless in December 2024. ABC agreed to settle for what amounts to a $15 million bribe in order to kiss up to the Tyrant-in-Chief.

MORE HERE: TRUMP WINS? ABC News Settles His Lawsuit Confirming that He Was Found Liable for Sexual Abuse

The Equal Time rules have been in place for decades. And throughout that time there have been exceptions for bona fide newsworthy interviews. But Trump’s notoriously fragile ego has pushed him to take vengeance on his critics and to stifle them any way that he can. The intentions of Trump and his neo-fascist FCC are to smother his critics entirely. It is not by coincidence that the Trump regime isn’t going after any right-wing programs or other MAGA media.

Furthermore, their timing is conspicuously close to the midterm elections that Trump is terrified of losing. Those predicted losses will significantly diminish his power and make him vulnerable to real congressional oversight. And Trump will do anything to avoid being held accountable for his multitude of crimes. Including muzzling the free press in an egregious breach of the Constitution.

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Trump Regime Clamps Down on ‘Stars and Stripes’ News For the Military Amid Iran War Fiasco

The determination of Donald Trump and his MAGA minions to assume authoritarian style control over the free press is rapidly advancing as he aggressively accelerates his abuse of power to subjugate the media. That abuse takes the form of persecution by his “Justice” Department and overt threats of lawsuits and other forms of illegal punishment for any journalists who dare to report truthfully about him or challenge his MAGA-sty.

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Donald Trump, Constitution

Trump’s efforts to quash the Constitution’s First Amendment protection of the free press have already had some dreadful effects on the media. He has coerced corporations that own news divisions to acquiesce to his demands for more favorable coverage, to pay out settlements for bogus claims of defamation, and to make concessions in order to gain federal approvals for mergers and other business regulatory matters. And Trump is actually proud of that poisoning of the media environment.

SEE THIS: Trump Brags About Getting Fascist Control of the Media in Bonkers Truth Social Post

Trump’s Secretary of War Crimes, Pete Hegseth, has been a faithful partner in his assault on the press. He recently issued orders to ban journalists from the Pentagon who declined to sign loyalty oaths to Trump. That meant that the only officially credentialed reporters allowed access to the Pentagon were Trump-fluffing outlets like One America News.

The latest act of tyrannical propagandism by Hegseth is his edict constraining the reporting of the previously respected military publication, Stars and Stripes. According to NPR (which is one of the news outlets Hegseth banned from the Pentagon)…

“The Defense Department has begun to exert greater control over Stars and Stripes, weeks after a top spokesman accused the independent military newspaper of focusing on ‘woke distractions.’

“The Pentagon announced what it calls ‘modernization’ changes this week, in a memo dated March 9 and effective immediately, according to a copy seen by NPR and first reported by Stars and Stripes on Friday. It’s the latest effort by the Pentagon and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to apply extraordinary limits on journalists covering the agency.

“The memo says that Stars and Stripes will continue to ‘operate with editorial independence.’ However, it also says that the newspaper must immediately begin implementing the Defense Department’s new interim policies and stop publishing several types of content.”

It is no coincidence that the language used by the DoD spokesman, Sean Parnell, parroted Trump’s rhetoric of “woke” reporters who fail to sufficiently worship Dear Leader. Parnell specifically stated that the purpose of the so-called “modernization” of Stars and Stripes was to “refocus its content away from woke distractions that syphon (sic) morale.”

Parnell also complained about the use of wire services to augment the publication’s content, saying that there would be “No more repurposed DC gossip columns; no more Associated Press reprints.” Therefore, there will no longer be any reporting by credible journalists around the world. There will also no longer be any sports coverage, or entertainment stories, or comic strips. All of which are popular with the troops who are the primary readers of the paper.

More troubling is the fact that this change has been made just as the U.S. has embarked on a war with Iran. So Stars and Stripes readers will now be missing some of the most important stories that in the past would have kept them informed about the state of the world and the American military’s place in it.

It can’t be ignored that Hegseth and Trump are just trying to insure that our troops will never hear important stories, such as the bombing of an Iranian school that killed more than 150 children. Or that the Strait of Hormuz is being shut down by Iran. Or that Trump has declared that the war has already been won, but that he wants to continue the fighting – and the killing, and the placing of American troops in harms way – for fun.

Stars and Stripes itself covered the memo wherein Hegseth’s Pentagon ordered the constraints on the paper. They quoted a spokesman for PEN America, an organization that advocates for the free press, who said that…

“This clearly shows that the Pentagon is trying to increase its influence over content decisions at Stars and Stripes [and that] That’s a threat to the First Amendment.”

What this boils down to is that Trump and Hegseth are terrified of allowing Americas soldiers access to information that directly affects their lives and the lives of their families. It’s a dictator’s approach to free speech and democracy. So naturally Trump has embraced it as his own. Hopefully the reporters at Stars and Stripes – and all other media – will resist such censorship and continue to be faithful to the Constitution, rather to the felonious authoritarian occupying the White House.

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Pete Hegseth, Trump’s Secretary of ‘Wah’ is a Crybaby Who Bans ‘Unflattering’ Photos of Himself

Ten days into the war that Donald Trump launched against Iran to destroy their nuclear capabilities (that he obliterated a few months ago), or to effect regime change (to a younger Ayatollah Khamenei), or to free up the oil market (that is now more constrained, raising gas prices to the highest levels in five years), the “stable genius” occupying the White House now says that the war is both over and just beginning.

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Donald Trump baby and Pete Hegseth

Trump’s utterly unjustified and illegal war is going great, according to Trump. Never mind that more than 140 American soldiers suffered serious injuries, including eight fatalities. And just ignore that it’s costing American taxpayers nearly a billion dollars a day. In Trump’s mind it’s a complete success because…well, just because he says so. And his boss in Moscow surely agrees.

SEE THIS: The Trump Regime Takes Putin at His Word About Russia Aiding Iran but Wanting to Help the U.S.

Of course, the Trump regime’s war machine is fully engaged in the war effort. That means that his Secretary of “War,” Pete Hegseth, is focused squarely on the mission to achieve whatever the heck Trump’s goals are. Even though he has failed to coherently explain what they are.

For his part, Hegseth is advancing the military’s position of always putting first the most shallow objective of enhancing the PR of the Pentagon and its boss, Pete Hegseth. For instance, it was reported Wednesday that Hegseth has taken bold measures to insure that he continues to look good in the media…

The Defense Department has barred press photographers from briefings on the Iran war after they published photos of Pete Hegseth that his staff deemed "unflattering," according to two people familiar with the decision who spoke on the condition of anonymity out of fear of retaliation.

Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1.bsky.social) 2026-03-11T15:45:18.439Z

That’s right. “Snowflake Pete” has put the kibosh on “unflattering” pictures of the Secretary of “Wah.” This is a move that ought to have been expected, coming from the former co-host of a weekend Fox News morning program. And it isn’t the first time that Hegseth has banished unfriendly media on the basis of appearances…

Trump’s Secretary of War on the Press, Pete Hegseth, Is Rebuked By the Media He’s Trying to Censor
“Hegseth proved his fealty to Trump last month when he issued a decree demanding that the press must swear a Trumpian loyalty oath before being allowed access to the Pentagon or to military leaders who work for the American people. […] The mandate that Hegseth imposed on the press forbids them to do any investigative reporting, interviewing, or to publish any stories that haven’t been pre-approved by Hegseth’s Pentagon overlords.

“Under this decree, reporters would be required to have an approved Pentagon escort when in the building. And should they refuse to sign the oath, they risk losing their press credentials.”

And who could forget Hegseth’s orders to build a makeup studio in the Pentagon, so that he could always look his best when doing cable news hits for MAGA friendly media…

Pete Hegseth Spends Thousands for a Pentagon Makeup Studio to Fortify America’s Military Might
“[Hegseth] has spent thousands of dollars to build a makeup studio in the Pentagon. Apparently, our soldiers also have to look good in battlefield photos. Or more likely, when Hegseth and other officers are making appearances on Fox News.”

More recently, Hegseth let it be known that he wouldn’t tolerate any news reporting of American casualties of war, because their having had the audacity to die on duty made Trump look bad…

Pete Hegseth Callously Dismisses American Fatalities as the Press ‘Wanting to Make Trump Look Bad’
“This is what the fake news misses. We’ve taken control of Iran’s airspace and waterways without boots on the ground. We control their fate. But when a few drones get through or tragic things happen, it’s front page news. I get it, the press only wants to make the president look bad. But try for once to report the reality. The terms of this war will be set by us at every step.”

Is this what Hegseth means when he talks about restoring a “warrior ethos” to the military? Because it seems more like he’s restoring the “red carpet” essence of the entertainment industry from whence he came. It surely isn’t helping either the image or the abilities of troops. But it soothes the massive but fragile egos of Hegseth and Trump. Who were both television hosts before going into politics.

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Judge Rules that Trump Toady Kari Lake’s Appointment Was Illegal and Voids All of Her Actions

If there is one thing for which Donald Trump has distinguished himself, it’s that he is indisputably the most media averse president in American history. And now the Trump regime’s Censorship Czar, Kari lake, has been repudiated in court (again) for her efforts to muzzle Voice of America (VOA), an essential distributor of American news to countries that stifle independent reporting such as Iran, where Trump is currently engaged in an unprovoked war.

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Donald Trump and Kari Lake

Trump recruited Lake to run VOA’s parent, the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), after she was firmly rejected by Arizonans for both governor and senator. While Trump’s FCC boss, Brendan Carr, is strangling the free press domestically, Lake is the foreign flank of Trump’s media gagging team. Impressed with her election denying prowess, Trump found her a position from which she could spew propaganda worldwide. Among her first official acts was to fire hundreds of experienced and dedicated VOA journalists and replace them with One America News, an ultra-MAGA, Trump-fluffing network.

SEE THIS: Trump Flunky Kari Lake Taps MAGA Propaganda Network, OAN, to Be the Voice of Voice of America

Fortunately, the attempts by Trump and Lake to stifle freedom of the press have themselves been stifled by the courts. In a new ruling Lake was forcefully rebuked by the judge in a case challenging her appointment to her USAGM post. On Saturday Reuters published an article with the headline “US judge voids 2025 actions taken by Kari Lake as Voice of America CEO, including job cuts.”

“A federal judge ruled on Saturday that Kari Lake’s leadership of the U.S. Agency for Global Media for much of last year violated federal law, invalidating a sweeping series of actions she took to cut staff and end many operations at its Voice of America unit.

“In another blow to the Trump administration’s attempts to diminish various government agencies, U.S. District Judge Royce Lamberth granted a summary judgment in favor of plaintiffs — including VOA journalists and a union representing federal employees — who argued that Lake’s appointment as acting CEO and actions she took in that role ran afoul of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act and the Constitution’s Appointments Clause.”

“Lamberth ruled that Lake was ineligible to serve as acting CEO because she was not employed by USAGM when former CEO Amanda Bennett resigned in January 2025, and had not been confirmed by the Senate to any other federal post.”

Lake quickly put out a statement saying that she would appeal the ruling by the judge who she said “has a pattern of activist rulings.” True to form, Lake is lying and smearing the judge’s reputation. But Lake is going to have a hard time painting Lamberth as a radical lefty jurist. To the contrary, he was nominated to the bench by Ronald Reagan in 1987.

In addition to the Voice of America, the USAGM oversees international broadcasting networks such as Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, Radio Television Martí, and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks. Their programming is heard around the world in an effort to peacefully extend U.S. influence and combat authoritarianism. No wonder Trump hates it. Anything that would interfere with his own aspirations of authoritarianism triggers his wrath.

At this particular moment in time, the value of these networks cannot be overstated. Trump is currently engaged in a war with Iran, where the Middle East Broadcasting Networks aired prior to his dismantling them. And Trump is also threatening to invade Cuba, the province of Radio Television Martí. So he is severing vital channels of communications with the citizens of those countries when it is needed most.

Hopefully the appeals courts will uphold these recent rulings that invalidate the efforts of Lake and Trump to decimate America’s international messaging capabilities. The last thing America needs now is to follow in the footsteps of Trump’s tyrannical idols and mentors, such as Vladimir Putin, Viktor Orbán, and Kim Jong Un.

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