Re-electing Donald Trump—a 34-time convicted felon who incited an insurrection—has, unsurprisingly, had immediate negative effects. There has been “chaos” in the Senate, global concern for the climate, and expressions of fear among foreign leaders, just to name a few.
Another troubling issue Trump brings is his penchant for attacking reporters and news outlets. To quote the 2023 Breach/Valdez Award for Journalism and Human Rights winner, Ricardo Hernández, “Without freedom of the press there is no democracy.” Yet, the president-elect brags about killing the mainstream media.
And this is not a new stance for Trump.
During both of his 2016 and 2024 campaigns, President-elect Trump vowed to take away broadcast licenses from major television networks as revenge for negative news coverage. The threat is so dire the Freedom of the Press Foundation has called upon the current administration to limit Trump’s power and stop him from destroying press freedom after his inauguration.
Fun fact—The First Amendment of the Constitution (the one MAGA Republicans constantly claim is being violated) includes the right to “a free press.”
ED JONES/AFP via Getty Images
Trump repeatedly called for members of the media to be jailed. Trump told his rally attendees that he dreams of journalists being massacred, and has filed multiple lawsuits against media companies who he claimed ran unfavorable stories about him.
Presidential historian Allan Lichtman, who accurately predicted nearly every presidential race since 1984, was wrong about Kamala Harris losing the 2024 election. He blamed the proliferation of online misinformation and disinformation for his incorrect prediction—primarily due to the influence of social media platforms including X (previously Twitter).
After Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, the platform saw a dramatic rise in racist and hateful content while also spreading distrust of mainstream media. According to a Gallup poll conducted before the election, only 31 percent of people had a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in mass media such as newspapers, TV, and radio. Twenty years ago, that number was at 50 percent.
Another fun fact—X plummeted 80 percent in value post-purchase, but Musk looks like he will recoup the losses with his shiny new government position. Trump recently named him to the made-up Department of Government Efficiency, which very efficiently needs two people to head it.
Now, rumors are swirling that Elon Musk wants to buy MSNBC and CNN.
Shutting down journalists who criticize the regime, and controlling the major communication channels … where have we seen this before?
Back in the 1930s, there was a certain minister of propaganda who used tactics eerily similar to what we are seeing today. He controlled the media, censoring any messages deemed to be anti-regime. He controlled artists, making sure the themes aligned with the regime’s ideology.
Newspapers, movies, and even books were censored, weeding out any depictions of a different viewpoint or way of life. The minister’s name was Joseph Goebbels.
Our democracy is holding on by a thread, and we can’t depend on the regular checks and balances to thwart Trump’s strongman tendencies. He has the Supreme Court in his pocket, gifting him presidential immunity. And we can’t hold our breath for the legislative branch to provide any kind of guardrails considering the Republicans now control both the House and Senate.
We must protect our First Amendment rights, all of our First Amendment rights, and preserve the freedom of the press at all costs. They may be the last line of defense the American people have left.
Dara Brewton is an actress and writer.
The views expressed in this article are the writer’s own.