President Trump has no respect for journalistic liberty. His ongoing, consistent assault on journalism puts the world of reporters in grave threat to the freedoms scribed to them by the U.S Constitution. His actions – from defunding public media to attacking reporters – show a clear attempt to silence criticism and control information.

In June 2025, NPR and several public radio stations sued the Trump administration for cutting their federal funding. “The first 100 days of the Trump administration have been marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms. These measures threaten the availability of independent, fact-based news for vast swaths of America’s population,” NPR reported. 

Trump continues to violate the First Amendment by targeting media outlets critical of his presidency. Without funding, independent journalism suffers, leaving Americans with fewer reliable news sources.

Trump often insults journalists, calling them “crazed lunatics” and “horrendous people” simply for reporting the truth. The truth that paints him “unfavorably,” that is. His hostility encourages distrust in the media, making it harder for reporters to hold the government accountable. The Committee to Protect Journalists warns that press freedom is “no longer a given in the United States.”

Journalists traveling into the U.S. have faced tougher screenings, increasing the risk of exposing confidential sources. This intimidation makes investigative journalism harder, limiting the public’s access to important information.

People – sources – are afraid of speaking their minds or the ridicule they may suffer in the face of Trump’s wrath. His administration’s blatant dogging on the media causes a complete dry-up of sources, effectively damaging the concept of journalism as we know it. 

Trump’s attacks on the press set a dangerous example for other world leaders. When the U.S. undermines media freedom, authoritarian governments feel more justified in cracking down on journalists in their own countries. Additionally, the U.S increasingly begins to resemble these very authoritarian regimes – as if it wasn’t this country that proposed a freedom of the press. Trump’s defiance of the standing of this institution moves to distort the existence of it’s standing at all. 

Trump’s war on journalism isn’t just about controlling the press—it’s about weakening democracy itself. If independent media disappears, so does the public’s right to know the truth.