Category: Attack the Press

Trump Demands Netflix Fire Susan Rice Over Corporate

President Trump demanded Netflix fire Susan Rice, a board member since 2023, after Rice criticized corporations that capitulate to Trump’s agenda. In a Truth Social post on Saturday, Trump called Rice a “racist, Trump Deranged” political hack with “no talent or skills,” threatening Netflix with unspecified consequences if the company did not comply immediately. Trump’s attack followed a video clip shared by Laura Loomer showing Rice warning that companies bowing to Trump will face accountability from Democrats if they return to power.

Rice, former National Security Adviser and U.N. Ambassador under President Obama, stated that corporations, law firms, universities, and media entities taking a knee to Trump will not fare well. She argued their capitulation represents short-term self-interest and predicted they will be held accountable by future Democratic administrations for firing employees and abandoning principles. Rice specifically challenged the assumption that Democrats would forgive such actions, saying corporations have “another thing coming” if they expect leniency.

The timing of Trump’s attack coincides with Netflix’s efforts to close a $72 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery while facing Department of Justice scrutiny over potential harm to consumers. Trump’s demand for Rice’s firing exploits regulatory vulnerability as competing bidders, including Paramount Skydance, attempt to block the merger and acquire WBD themselves. Rice has previously criticized Trump initiatives, including his dismantling of federal diversity, equity, and inclusion programs and his defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth.

Trump’s demand weaponizes his presidential authority to pressure a major media company into firing a corporate board member for expressing political speech. This attack exemplifies Trump’s use of regulatory power and public threats to silence critics and enforce loyalty, directly targeting someone who warned corporations against capitulating to his administration.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-demands-netflix-fire-racist-susan-rice-after-ex-obama-ambassador-slammed-companies-that-take-a-knee-to-potus/)

FCC Chair Carr Demands Patriotic Content While Silencing Late-Night Hosts

Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, has called on broadcasters to air “patriotic, pro-America” content as part of a “Pledge America Campaign” ahead of the nation’s 250th independence anniversary in July. Carr’s directive explicitly requests networks air programming celebrating American history, begin each broadcast day with the Pledge of Allegiance, and feature music by composers including John Philip Sousa, Aaron Copland, Duke Ellington, and George Gershwin. The campaign frames such programming as addressing declining civics education and serving broadcasters’ public interest obligations.

Carr has become a central figure in the Trump administration’s conflict with late-night television hosts after pressuring ABC to suspend Jimmy Kimmel’s show in September over comments about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s fatal shooting. Upon returning, Kimmel called out Carr’s hypocrisy by citing a 2022 social media post from Carr himself stating that “political satire is one of the oldest and most important forms of free speech.” Stephen Colbert similarly attacked Carr this week after CBS reportedly blocked an interview with Democrat James Talarico running for U.S. Senate in Texas, with Carr having indicated he was considering removing talk show exemptions from FCC equal-time rules.

Anna Gomez, the sole Democratic FCC Commissioner, directly opposed Carr’s campaign, stating on X that “nothing is more American than defending our constitutional rights against those who would erode our civil liberties” and urging broadcasters to refuse government interference by defending their First Amendment rights. CBS denied blocking the Talarico interview, stating instead that legal guidance indicated broadcast could trigger equal-time requirements for other candidates. The FCC’s equal-time rules do not apply to digital platforms, and the blocked interview has garnered over 8.3 million views on The Late Show’s YouTube channel.

Carr has framed his actions as ending broadcaster control over public discourse. In a Fox News interview with Laura Ingraham, Carr declared that “the days that these legacy media broadcasters get to decide what we can say, what we can think, who we can vote for, are over,” crediting Trump with “smashing the facade” of media independence. Carr’s language and actions demonstrate the administration’s deliberate effort to pressure networks into aligning content with government-approved messaging while simultaneously attacking press freedom as a mechanism of control.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-fcc-brendan-carr-patriotic-colbert-kimmel-b2924780.html)

Trump Expels Media From Governors Meeting To Hide Policy Disputes

President Donald Trump expelled journalists from a White House governors meeting on February 20, 2026, instructing media to leave so discussions could proceed “very candidly.” Trump stated directly to assembled reporters, “We’re going to be asking the press to leave,” before White House communications staff ushered them out, with some pressing questions before being removed.

Trump’s official social media account mocked the press expulsion, posting that he had “kicked them out” after inviting them, characterizing reporter questions as “stupid.” This move prevented public scrutiny of a meeting where Trump had initially excluded Democratic governors Jared Polis of Colorado and Wes Moore of Maryland over political disagreements before reversing course under pressure and extending invitations.

CNN’s Wolf Blitzer stated he could not recall a president officially inviting media into a formal meeting only to expel them, calling the action “extraordinary.” Correspondent Kevin Liptak reported Trump may have sought to hide contentious exchanges with governors, referencing a prior governors summit dispute where Maine Governor Janet Mills confronted Trump over an executive order withholding federal funding related to transgender sports participation and pledged to challenge him in court.

The exclusion of press from a bipartisan governors meeting demonstrates Trump’s pattern of restricting public access to government proceedings and suppressing media inquiry into policy disagreements. By barring journalists, Trump prevented documentation of disputes between his administration and state leaders on federal funding and regulatory matters.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/trump-shockingly-asks-media-to-leave-as-governors-breakfast-meeting-kicks-off-that-way-we-will-talk-very-candidly/)

Trump Threatens Lawsuit Against Michael Wolff Over Epstein Emails

President Donald Trump announced plans to sue author Michael Wolff, accusing him of “conspiring” with deceased sex offender Jeffrey Epstein to damage his political career. Trump made the statement to reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday night, following the release of additional Epstein documents, claiming that emails between Wolff and Epstein exonerated him rather than implicating him.

Released documents from 2015 and 2016 show Wolff messaging Epstein about obtaining damaging information on Trump before the 2016 presidential election. In one 2016 message, Wolff wrote that Epstein could “help finish” Trump by providing opposition research; in a 2015 exchange, Wolff stated that if Trump denied visiting Epstein’s plane or property, “that gives you valuable PR and political currency. You can hang him.” Trump characterized these exchanges as evidence of a conspiracy against him, calling Wolff a “third-rate writer” engaged in a political attack.

When Wolff released a video response to the emails in late 2024, he avoided addressing his communications with Epstein and instead suggested the correspondence might reveal details about Trump’s relationship with Epstein himself. Trump has previously dismissed Epstein-related coverage as a Democratic diversion and repeatedly sought to strengthen libel laws to restrict press reporting. Trump stated he will “certainly” sue Wolff and may also pursue legal action against the Epstein estate.

Wolff authored the 2018 bestseller “Fire and Fury,” which documented internal dynamics of Trump’s first administration. Trump’s litigation threat follows his pattern of using lawsuits to suppress unfavorable reporting and accounts of his conduct.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-aiming-to-sue-michael-wolff-for-conspiring-with-jeffrey-epstein-to-wreck-his-political-career/)

White House Threatens CBS With Lawsuit Over Trump Interview

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt threatened CBS News with litigation if the network edited an interview with President Donald Trump, according to an audio recording obtained by the New York Times. Leavitt told CBS anchor Tony Dokoupil that Trump demanded the 13-minute segment air “in full” without cuts, warning “If it’s not out in full, we’ll sue your ass off.” CBS broadcast the unedited interview on Tuesday, months after the network’s parent company Paramount settled a $16 million lawsuit filed by Trump over the editing of a 2024 interview with Kamala Harris.

The threat reflects a pattern of abuse of power by the Trump administration targeting media outlets for editorial decisions. CBS had previously settled Trump’s lawsuit despite arguing that editing for time is standard television journalism practice, effectively capitulating to pressure and sending a signal that legal intimidation of news organizations works. This capitulation emboldened further demands for editorial control over coverage of the Republican administration.

The incident occurs against a backdrop of institutional capture at CBS News, where newly appointed editor-in-chief Bari Weiss has faced accusations of favoritism toward the Trump administration and compromised editorial independence. CBS is now controlled by Paramount Skydance, owned by David Ellison, a friend of Trump, and Paramount also purchased Weiss’s conservative opinion company Free Press in October. This consolidation of ownership and editorial control mirrors authoritarian media dynamics, exemplified by Trump’s pattern of weaponizing government power against business competitors and those who do not demonstrate absolute loyalty.

Weiss’s tenure has been marked by decisions that benefit the Trump administration, including pulling a 60 Minutes segment scheduled for December 21 about Venezuelan men deported by the administration, which veteran correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi had reported. Weiss cited lack of response from the Trump administration as justification, effectively allowing government non-cooperation to determine editorial judgment at a major news network.

The White House statement defending the threat claimed “The American people deserve to watch President Trump’s full interviews, unedited” while simultaneously using legal threats to dictate how news organizations operate. CBS’s decision to air the full interview and maintain it was always their intention contradicts the original need for Leavitt’s intimidation, exposing how threats of litigation function as tools of control over media coverage independent of actual editorial disputes.

(Source: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/jan/18/white-house-press-secretary-cbs-trump-interview)

Military Newspaper Applicants Face Loyalty Test

Applicants for positions at Stars and Stripes, the independent U.S. military newspaper, are being asked during recruitment how they would support the president’s policy priorities. This recruitment approach has prompted concern among staffers and media observers regarding the outlet’s editorial independence and journalistic autonomy.

The loyalty-based screening represents a direct attack on the institutional independence that Stars and Stripes has maintained throughout its history. By conditioning employment on alignment with presidential policies, the administration is weaponizing hiring practices to reshape editorial direction and eliminate dissenting voices within the military press.

This effort aligns with the Pentagon’s broader push to overhaul the military newspaper, which the administration has labeled “woke” for its factual reporting. The systematic pressure to conform editorial judgment to executive preferences dissolves the firewall between government propaganda and legitimate news reporting.

Staffers and press watchdogs recognize the implications for military journalism and public accountability. Subordinating news judgment to presidential loyalty ensures that critical reporting on military spending, conduct, and policy decisions will be suppressed in favor of administration messaging.

(Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/01/14/stars-and-stripes-trump-loyalty-test/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=bluesky,facebook,threads,twitter&utm_medium=social&fbclid=IwdGRleAPU5phleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeagqzlN2HRRIyzSbs4vATvyqpRzroKbZTJVklifnl11B7-R459m4FebIInbc_aem_7tz7GhA6l2VwJs6gHoZmEQ)

Trump Claims Dokoupil Owes CBS Job to Harris Election Loss

During an exclusive interview at a Ford plant in Detroit, President Donald Trump told CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil that his new anchor position exists only because Harris lost the 2024 election. Trump claimed Dokoupil would be unemployed had Harris won, suggesting Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison—whom Trump praised as "an amazing guy"—might lack the financial resources to hire him under a Democratic administration.

Trump repeatedly emphasized Dokoupil's salary during the exchange, stating "you wouldn't have this job, you wouldn't have this job, certainly whatever the hell they're paying you" if Harris had prevailed. The Skydance-Paramount merger, which enabled Dokoupil's hiring, was approved under the Trump administration. Dokoupil was named to replace the CBS Evening News anchor role last month under new network editor-in-chief Bari Weiss.

Dokoupil pushed back on Trump's assertion, stating he believed he would hold the anchor position regardless of election outcome. Trump countered by suggesting Dokoupil's salary would be substantially lower under a Harris presidency, implying financial constraints would limit compensation even if the position existed.

Trump used the interview to declare the country had transformed from "dead" under the previous administration to the world's "hottest" under his leadership. He framed Dokoupil's employment as direct evidence of his administration's success, linking the broadcaster's career advancement to his electoral victory and the resulting corporate merger approval.

Viktor Orbán's Hungary provides a troubling blueprint that some argue Republican operatives are actively implementing in the United States. Rather than direct state control, Orbán uses wealthy business allies to acquire independent media outlets, which are then consolidated under organizations like the Central European Press and Media Foundation (KESMA), effectively controlling approximately 80% of Hungary's media landscape. Key figures such as Lőrinc Mészáros, Miklós Vaszily, and Andy Vajna purchased major news outlets and donated them to create a unified, pro-government editorial voice. Critics contend that similar dynamics are now emerging in America, with Trump-aligned billionaires strategically acquiring major news organizations like CBS to shift editorial direction toward favorable coverage. This model replaces transparent state propaganda with the appearance of independent media while systematically silencing opposition voices, withdrawing advertising from critical outlets, and using government-friendly platforms to attack opponents. If this pattern continues unchecked in the U.S., observers warn it could fundamentally undermine democratic discourse by concentrating control over information in the hands of ideologically aligned wealthy elites, mirroring the erosion of press freedom witnessed in Orbán's Hungary.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/tv/trump-tells-tony-dokoupil-you-wouldnt-have-a-job-right-now-if-harris-won/)

Trump Admin Posts Echo White Supremacist Rhetoric

The Trump administration is deploying recruitment campaigns and official posts across federal departments that incorporate imagery, slogans, and rhetoric linked to white supremacist and extremist movements, according to PBS reporting and analysis by Cynthia Miller-Idriss of American University’s Polarization and Extremism Research Innovation Lab. An ICE recruitment advertisement features the phrase “We will have our home again,” a direct reference to a white supremacist anthem favored by the Proud Boys, while the Department of Labor distributed messaging stating “One homeland, one people, one heritage” alongside heroic depictions of white men. Administration posts also invoke “Trust the plan,” the QAnon conspiracy theory slogan tied to the January 6 Capitol attack, which posits a global cabal of pedophiles and deep state actors that Trump is fighting.

Extremist symbols have surfaced across multiple federal agencies, including the “An Appeal to Heaven” flag, which was carried by January 6 rioters and adopted by evangelical Christian nationalist groups and neo-Nazi organizations. Miller-Idriss identified this pattern as part of a propaganda campaign to reposition ICE operations as serving the public interest while employing dog whistles and explicit racist and conspiratorial messaging. The administration is simultaneously rewriting January 6 history on a newly published website, blaming Democrats for security failures and justifying pardons for over 1,500 defendants involved in the insurrection.

President Trump stated in a New York Times interview that the civil rights movement “hurt a lot of people” and constituted “reverse discrimination” against whites denied college admission or jobs. Billionaire Elon Musk endorsed this framing by endorsing a post claiming “If white men become a minority, we will be slaughtered. White solidarity is the only way to survive”—the Great Replacement Theory, a white nationalist conspiracy falsely asserting intentional replacement of the white population. Miller-Idriss connected this conspiracy theory to terrorist attacks in Pittsburgh, El Paso, Buffalo, Christchurch, and Oslo, resulting in hundreds of deaths.

Miller-Idriss characterized the shift as a “turning point in the propaganda campaign,” driven by ICE’s 57 percent disapproval rating and public awareness of agency abuses circulated through cell phone video. She identified Trump’s statements as an “unedited version” of a longstanding belief system that white men are losing ground, now openly expressed without prior hedging. The administration simultaneously withdrew U.S. support from extremism prevention organizations, cementing its alignment with extremist ideological frameworks.

Miller-Idriss noted that undemocratic leaders employ confusion and propaganda simultaneously to undermine journalism, expertise, and shared truth, citing Hannah Arendt’s analysis of Nazi propaganda: once people stop knowing what is true and false, “it’s very easy for them to stop knowing what’s right and wrong.” The administration’s strategy combines coordinated messaging across departments with high-profile policy actions including ICE deployments, foreign intervention, and territorial threats, designed to normalize extremist rhetoric while obscuring its authoritarian implications through saturation messaging.

(Source: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/trump-administration-posts-echo-rhetoric-linked-to-extremist-groups?fbclid=IwdGRleAPSxIFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEegXa-oSnnonxrbxD0HIm8ZOScqBnslIjqqgO-WisqCCJBydQdzzodouEcCt0_aem_45dHLtlY5pgg0gPw_BA6LA)

White House calls for “60 Minutes” producers to be fired: “Clean house” – Newsweek

Stephen Miller, a senior adviser to President Donald Trump, demanded that CBS News fire producers who objected to the network’s decision to pull a 60 Minutes segment from Sunday’s broadcast. Miller told Fox News on Tuesday that every producer involved in the “revolt” should be terminated, stating “Clean house. Fire them.”

CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss removed the 13-minute segment titled “Inside CECOT” just three hours before air, which documented interviews with Venezuelan men deported by the Trump administration to El Salvador’s CECOT prison without trials or due process. Weiss claimed the story needed additional reporting and suggested adding an interview with Miller or another Trump official, though correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi stated the piece had passed all legal and editorial reviews and was ready to broadcast.

Alfonsi rejected Weiss’s explanation in a message to CBS colleagues, stating the decision was “not an editorial decision, it is a political one” and warned that allowing the administration to block stories through non-participation gives them a “kill switch” for inconvenient reporting. She noted the segment had already been promoted to viewers, and its absence without explanation would be correctly identified as corporate censorship.

Miller defended the deportations on Fox News, falsely characterizing the Venezuelan men as “monsters” and “murderers and rapists,” despite reporting that many lacked U.S. criminal records and had only violated immigration laws. According to the Cato Institute, approximately 240 Venezuelan men were deported to CECOT in March; Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented that prisoners there are denied attorney and family contact and face widespread mistreatment.

The segment subsequently appeared online, intensifying backlash against CBS News. Multiple veteran correspondents questioned Weiss’s decision during a Monday meeting, Democratic Senator Brian Schatz called the situation “a terrible embarrassment,” and internal sources reported staff threatening to resign over the incident. Weiss stated the segment will air eventually, though timing remains unclear.

(Source: https://www.newsweek.com/white-house-calls-60-minutes-producers-to-be-fired-stephen-miller-11260869)

Trump Calls NY Times ‘Serious Threat’ to ‘National Security’

President Donald Trump labeled the New York Times “a serious threat to the national security of our nation” in a late-night Truth Social post on Monday, calling the outlet “a true enemy of the people” and demanding their behavior “must be dealt with and stopped.” Trump’s attack followed the Times’ publication of an investigative article documenting his decades-long friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, based on interviews with over 30 former employees, abuse victims, and others who knew both men.

The Times reported that beginning in the late 1980s, Trump and Epstein formed an intense bond, with Epstein serving as Trump’s “most reliable wingman” in pursuing women. According to the article, Epstein and his partner Ghislaine Maxwell introduced at least six women who accused them of grooming or abuse to Trump, including one minor, though the Times noted none have accused Trump himself of inappropriate behavior. One victim told the newspaper she was “coerced” into attending four Epstein parties that Trump also attended, at two of which Epstein directed her to have sex with other male guests.

Trump’s public attack on the Times represents his continued pattern of aggressive hostility toward journalists questioning his connections to Epstein, including prior confrontations with ABC News and other media outlets. His characterization of factual reporting as a national security threat aligns with his broader effort to delegitimize independent journalism and suppress scrutiny of his conduct.

The president’s response echoes authoritarian language targeting press freedom, weaponizing national security rhetoric against newsroom investigations that document documented facts about his associations and conduct. By framing investigative journalism as a threat requiring action “must be dealt with,” Trump signals intent to restrict press freedom and suppress accountability reporting.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-brands-new-york-times-a-serious-threat-to-the-national-security-of-our-nation/)

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