Trump’s Press Purge

On Friday afternoon, as the media world prepared to settle in for what many surely hoped would be a quiet September weekend, Donald Trump erupted on Truth Social with an unhinged post escalating his war against the press. In the post, Trump said that he was “proud to announce” that “effective immediately” he was “banning” CNN, MS NOW, and POLITICO “from the White House.” Trump did not specify a reason for his abrupt declaration, later saying that it was for the “cumulative” stories each outlet had published.

“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they’re covering the President of the United States, the Trump Administration, or the United States of America,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, ending with a warning: “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.” He later specifically issued threats against The Washington Post and The New York Times.