Trump and the Press: More Than a Veto
The attempt to retaliate against several media outlets paints a picture of a president on a path that is dangerous for democracy itself.
If there is one thing the United States can boast about, it is the strength of foundational laws that have sustained its democracy through the vicissitudes of history for two and a half centuries. That should have been the spirit behind Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit on Friday to the National Archives, where the country’s founding documents are kept. There, with Donald Trump as his host, Xi was able to view the original Constitution and its famous First Amendment, which enshrines the right to freedom of the press. “This is who we are,” George Washington seems to be saying with such visits, “and this explains our success.”
There is no more effective message to convey to the leader of an authoritarian regime. And such would have been the understanding with any of the U.S. presidents of recent decades. But with Trump, nothing is that simple.
Because at the same time he was boasting about freedom to Xi, the White House was embroiled in a legal battle with three media outlets it had barred from covering the visit. The physical ban on journalists is an unprecedented measure. On Sept. 18, Trump announced that two television networks, CNN and MS NOW, as well as the news outlet Politico, would not be allowed to cover the White House. When their teams of reporters and technicians attempted to enter the presidential compound the following day, security agents barred them from entering and revoked their permanent credentials. The media sued the government, and a judge ordered the passes to be reinstated as a precautionary measure; however, since then, access has been only partial. And this Thursday and Friday, the major television networks refused, in a show of solidarity, to film the Chinese leader’s state visit.
The White House argues that press credentials themselves are not a constitutional right, but rather a matter of the institution’s own policy. The media argue that this ban stems from what Trump perceives as editorial hostility — something he has actually stated. Basically, this is an undisguised attack on freedom of the press and the constitutional principles that underpin it.
The attack on the press — which must be stopped as forcefully and quickly as possible by the courts — may seem minor compared to the true human tragedies caused by Trump, such as the thousands of immigrant families torn apart. But daring to launch such a brazen challenge to the Constitution sends a terrible message to the world from a country that has often been seen as a model of respect for freedom of the press.
And it reveals something else. In November, Trump will be staking his political future on a legislative election in which he faces an uphill battle. And he is willing to cross every red line of democracy as things get tougher for him.
If there is one thing the United States can boast about, it is the strength of foundational laws that have sustained its democracy through the vicissitudes of history for two and a half centuries. That should have been the spirit behind Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit on Friday to the National Archives, where the country’s founding documents are kept. There, with Donald Trump as his host, Xi was able to view the original Constitution and its famous First Amendment, which enshrines the right to freedom of the press. “This is who we are,” George Washington seems to be saying with such visits, “and this explains our success.”
There is no more effective message to convey to the leader of an authoritarian regime. And such would have been the understanding with any of the U.S. presidents of recent decades. But with Trump, nothing is that simple.
Because at the same time he was boasting about freedom to Xi, the White House was embroiled in a legal battle with three media outlets it had barred from covering the visit. The physical ban on journalists is an unprecedented measure. On Sept. 18, Trump announced that two television networks, CNN and MS NOW, as well as the news outlet Politico, would not be allowed to cover the White House. When their teams of reporters and technicians attempted to enter the presidential compound the following day, security agents barred them from entering and revoked their permanent credentials. The media sued the government, and a judge ordered the passes to be reinstated as a precautionary measure; however, since then, access has been only partial. And this Thursday and Friday, the major television networks refused, in a show of solidarity, to film the Chinese leader’s state visit.
The White House argues that press credentials themselves are not a constitutional right, but rather a matter of the institution’s own policy. The media argue that this ban stems from what Trump perceives as editorial hostility — something he has actually stated. Basically, this is an undisguised attack on freedom of the press and the constitutional principles that underpin it.
The attack on the press — which must be stopped as forcefully and quickly as possible by the courts — may seem minor compared to the true human tragedies caused by Trump, such as the thousands of immigrant families torn apart. But daring to launch such a brazen challenge to the Constitution sends a terrible message to the world from a country that has often been seen as a model of respect for freedom of the press.
And it reveals something else. In November, Trump will be staking his political future on a legislative election in which he faces an uphill battle. And he is willing to cross every red line of democracy as things get tougher for him.
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