Donald Trump has frequently and publicly criticized and attacked numerous media organizations, especially those he perceives as giving him unfavorable coverage. He has also used his power as president to take actions intended to pressure or punish news outlets. While he has never successfully shut down a major U.S. media outlet, his administration has sought to interfere with their operations. 

Media organizations criticized and targeted

Over the years, Trump has directed his most consistent and frequent attacks at the following organizations, which he has repeatedly labeled “fake news” and “enemies of the people”: 

  • The New York Times: Trump has filed multiple lawsuits against the newspaper and its reporters for alleged defamation over their coverage. A judge dismissed one such suit in September 2025, calling it a “political document”.
  • CNN: He has called the network “corrupt and dishonest” and has suggested they are “illegal”. The network has also been denied full access to the Pentagon and has faced regulatory pressure concerning its broadcast license.
  • MSNBC: The network has been included in Trump’s broad criticisms of cable news and accused of being an “arm of the Democrat Party”.
  • The Washington Post: Trump has attacked the paper as “fake,” “crazy,” “dishonest,” and “disgraced”. The Pentagon denied the outlet office space in 2025.
  • NBC and ABC: In 2025, Trump called for the FCC to revoke the broadcast licenses of NBC and ABC, repeating long-standing threats against the networks.
  • Associated Press: In February 2025, Trump banned AP reporters from certain press pools after they used the term “Gulf of Mexico” instead of his preferred name “Gulf of America”.
  • NPR and PBS: The Republican-led Congress, at Trump’s behest, cut all federal funding for public media in 2025.
  • CBS: In 2025, CBS agreed to a $16 million settlement with Trump over a report on Vice President Kamala Harris. The network also canceled The Late Show with Stephen Colbert in 2025, which many commentators believe was due to pressure from the Trump administration.
  • Voice of America (VOA): In March 2025, the Trump administration took steps to dismantle VOA and other government-funded news outlets, accusing them of being too critical and of promoting propaganda. 

Attempts to “shut down” media outlets

Trump’s attempts to interfere with and suppress media organizations have included: 

  • Pressuring corporate parents: He has put pressure on the parent companies of networks like ABC, CBS, and CNN, who have faced legal actions and regulatory threats during his administration.
  • Threatening broadcast licenses: Trump has repeatedly and publicly threatened to use the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to revoke the broadcast licenses of networks he dislikes, including NBC and ABC.
  • Restricting access and removing press credentials: The Trump administration has denied press access to White House and Pentagon facilities for outlets deemed unfavorable.
  • Filing lawsuits: Trump has filed numerous defamation lawsuits against news organizations for coverage he disliked.
  • Cutting funding for public broadcasters: Federal funding for NPR and PBS was eliminated in 2025.
  • Targeting government news agencies: He has taken unprecedented steps to dismantle government-funded news outlets like Voice of America. 

 

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