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Donald Trump Thinks the Freedom of the Press Is ‘Disgusting’

Trump with press on air force one
Trump with press on air force one
Brian Tashman,
Former Deputy Division Director,
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October 13, 2017

This post is periodically updated with new attacks on the media by the president.

Donald Trump has pledged to defend the Constitution — — but he can’t seem to lay off that pesky First Amendment.

Trump has mocked the First Amendment’s right to freedom of religion by calling for a ban on Muslims from entering the country and those who believe in the freedom of speech as “foolish people.” He has endorsed and the who burn the flag. He has attempted to silence and marginalize his critics by forcing staff, and even , to sign unconstitutional non-disclosure agreements and revoking, or threatening to revoke, the security clearances of former administration officials. His administration has also proposed to dramatically limit the right to protest near the White House and on the National Mall.

And Trump has made it very clear that he doesn’t stand for the freedom of the press. As a presidential candidate, he supporters he would “open up our libel laws” to sue journalists. “We’re going to have people sue you like you’ve never got sued before,” he promised.

Trump the candidate also reporters and entire news outlets from campaign events, to journalists as “scum” and “slime,” and a reporter for having a disability. He vowed to women who reported incidents of sexual harassment and assault, along with the outlets that covered their , and threatened a lawsuit against a for calling out his bigoted remarks.

"I would never kill them but I do hate them,” he of reporters. “And some of them are such lying, disgusting people.”

This onslaught didn’t stop once Trump assumed the presidency. From the most powerful perch on the planet, he has continued to wage attacks on the free press, further revealing his authoritarian impulses and disdain for the First Amendment.

Below we provide a running list of attacks that the president has made on the press since assuming office. We’ll keep this list updated since, unfortunately, we don’t expect them to stop.

Trump has:

  1. a violent attack on a reporter by Montana Rep. Greg Gianforte.
  2. Presided over a Justice Department investigation in which years' worth of email and phone records belonging to a New York Times reporter were seized in connection with a leak investigation.
  3. Threatened to change libel laws to make it easier to sue publishers and news organizations following the release of an unflattering book.
  4. against a journalist and publisher over a book that includes critical statements about him.
  5. Demanded the Washington Post a reporter over an inaccurate tweet about the crowd size at a Trump rally, which the reporter apologized for and deleted.
  6. Urged people to ABC News over a retracted report, which Trump claimed caused the stock market to fall and investors to lose money.
  7. On the day that Russia restrictions on foreign news outlets, tweeted: “CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!” He then a contest between CNN and other outlets, apart from Fox, to see which has “the most dishonest, corrupt and/or distorted in its political coverage of your favorite President (me).”
  8. Said it is “ the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write” in a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
  9. to the broadcast licenses of media companies that offer negative coverage of him.
  10. Had the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, call on ESPN to for criticizing him.
  11. Tweeted mocking images of him and his campaign .
  12. Overseen a Justice Department of policies for subpoenaing media organizations in an effort to crack down on both whistleblowers and journalists. As of November 2017, investigations of leaks by the department reportedly grew under Jeff Sessions.
  13. Pledged to “” with a Polish leader hostile to press freedom.
  14. Attacked reporters , who has fostered a climate of .
  15. Said that his mission to “drain the swamp” begins “”
  16. Reportedly asked then-FBI Director James Comey to reporters who publish classified information.
  17. Tasked his former chief of staff with looking into .
  18. Explored the prosecution of for publishing CIA and State Department materials.
  19. Labeled the “fake news” media “.”
  20. Accused the media of about his “very nice” conversation with the Australian prime minister. Ultimately, a of the call showed it was Trump who was lying.
  21. Urged someone to buy the New York Times to “.”
  22. Said members of the “Fake News & totally dishonest Media” have “ who have given up on the TRUTH!”
  23. Threatened to who write “negative” stories about him while admitting he considers negative media coverage to be “Fake”: “91% of the Network News about me is negative (Fake). Why do we work so hard in working with the media when it is corrupt? Take away credentials?”
  24. Called for a into “Saturday Night Live” after watching a rerun of an episode parodying him.
  25. Wondered why “the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs ?”
  26. Tweeted that the “Fake News is the !”
  27. Unsuccessfully the press credentials of CNN journalist Jim Acosta.
  28. Said that he is “” to have “great” stories published about him in the New York Times.
  29. Brazil’s authoritarian president for denouncing the “fake news.”
  30. Announced plans to presidential debates held by “Fake News Networks.”

While Trump tries to portray journalists at the “enemies” of Americans, it’s his attacks on the press that amount to an assault on the cornerstone of American democracy: the First Amendment.

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