Donald Trump has sworn he will exact retribution on his political rivals and critics — and that includes members of the press. The president-elect is already demanding that Republicans in Congress kill bipartisan legislation that would protect American journalists from surveillance by the federal government, and help shield the confidential sources or whistleblowers who speak to journalists from retaliation by law enforcement.
The PRESS Act — which was introduced by Reps. Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) and Kevil Kiley (R-Cal.) — passed the Republican-controlled House with bipartisan support in January, and has been languishing in the Senate for almost a year now.
On Wednesday, Trump wrote on Truth Social that “REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!” alongside a link to a PBS News segment interviewing Jodie Ginsberg, head of the Committee to Protect Journalists and an advocate for the legislation.
On Monday, the president-elect told Fox News that it's “vital” to support a “free, fair, and open media,” but his rhetoric on social media, and the plans he laid out on the campaign trail, paint a very different picture.
Earlier this month, just two days before the election, Trump told attendees at a rally in Lititz, Pennsylvania, that he wouldn't mind if a would-be assassin shot through members of the media in order to make an attempt on his life.
“I have this piece of glass here,” Trump said, pointing to a segment of bulletproof glass. “But all we really have over here is the fake news, right?”
“And, to get me, somebody would have to shoot through the fake news, and I don't mind that so much. I don't mind. I don't mind that,” he said.
Trump has repeatedly called for news networks who criticize him to be stripped of their broadcasting licenses or otherwise punished. A CNN review of his speeches and social media posts found that Trump had threatened broadcasters with the revocation of their license at least 15 times — most often against more liberal leaning broadcasters and networks.
“MSNBC (MSDNC) uses FREE government approved airwaves, and yet it is nothing but a 24 hour hit job on Donald J. Trump,” he wrote in November of last year. “It is the world's biggest political contribution to the Radical Left Democrats who, by the way, are destroying our Country. Our so-called 'government' should come down hard on them and make them pay for their illegal political activity. Much more to come, watch!”
Kash Patel, a former Trump adviser who is now reportedly being considered for the role of FBI director, said in a 2023 interview with Steve Bannon that a second Trump administration would prioritize civil and criminal retaliation against the liberal media — which he falsely claims helped President Joe Biden steals the 2020 election.
“We will go out and find the conspirators not just in government, but in the media,” Patel said. “We're going to come after you whether it's criminally or civilly.”
While Trump may pay lip service to the idea of protecting press freedom, it's clear in his campaign rhetoric and effort to kill the PRESS Act that — at least in his mind — First Amendment protection only extends to those who use their outlets to propagandize for his political project.
