Trump says CNN may have committed a crime. The First Amendment says otherwise.
After CNN reported Iranian officials’ statements, Trump called the coverage false and suggested a crime. Experts say that’s unlikely.
Within two hours of declaring a ceasefire in the Iran war, President Donald Trump alleged that CNN knowingly published false information.
Trump said CNN reported a “fake” statement from Iran and U.S. authorities are probing whether CNN committed a crime by publishing it. It’s unclear what crime, if any, CNN would be charged with.
Trump shared a statement from Iran’s minister of foreign affairs that said Trump accepted Iran’s 10-point plan as a “basis for negotiations,” that Iran agrees to a ceasefire and will reopen the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks. As of April 10, the strait was operating at about 10% of its normal pace, according to National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett.
Related Knowledge Center: The White House vs. the press
Whether it’s the Des Moines Register’s publication of an unfavorable election poll, a routine edit of a 60 Minutes interview with Kamala Harris, or the Associated Press’s decision in its authoritative stylebook to continue to use “Gulf of Mexico,” Donald Trump and the White House have used executive authority and legal reprisals in an effort to punish and suppress press coverage that runs contrary to the administration’s preferred narratives.
Democracy and politics | Signalgate | The CBS submission | Voiceless America
Related Knowledge Center: Free speech and public protest
The First Amendment is facing challenging times: Crackdowns on campus protests prompted both-sides claims of intolerance. Attempts to head off dangerous health misinformation have been characterized as violations of free speech. Donald Trump is publicly punishing news outlets that deviate from his administration’s version of events while privately suing some outlets into submission.
The White House vs. the press | Voiceless America