Unleashed Rant: Trump's Media Blitzkrieg
Trump alleges unlawful actions and corruption by news media in Justice Department address
In a fiery speech on Friday, ex-President Donald Trump unleashed a scathing attack on the media, leveling baseless accusations of illegal and corrupt behavior towards outlets such as CNN.
Praising Florida district court Judge Aileen Cannon, whom he appointed in 2020 and who sided with him in January, Trump insinuated that news publishers targeted Cannon due to the ruling, claiming they "do it all the time with judges" and publications "will write whatever these people say."
Trump went on to slam mainstream media outlets like The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, MSNBC, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC, stating they would "write whatever they say," without providing evidence. He further alleged that CNN and MSNBC are "political arms of the Democrat Party," and claimed they're "really corrupt."
Trump's speech at the Department of Justice marked a renewed effort to paint the press as an enemy, veiling his true intent: punishing news organizations that report unfavorably towards him. This damning conclusion is highlighted by Trump's history of conflict with the media, including lawsuits against the Pulitzer Board, ABC News, and Paramount Global (CBS News owner), and an indefinite ban of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One.
The Trump administration has also signaled its intent to terminate subscriptions with outlets the president dislikes. Notable examples include ending $8 million in Politico Pro subscriptions and canceling AP and AFP contracts, as well as allowing the Reuters contract to lapse.
Trump's Friday speech demonstrated that these actions are no isolated decisions; they form part of a broader attack on the media - an assault Trump intends to maintain and possibly escalate.
While Trump's speech built on his long-standing narrative of labeling the press an enemy, the reality is that it's the president himself who possesses a remarkable propensity for weaponizing the Justice Department against news organizations whose reporting he dislikes. Trump's claims of the DOJ's alleged weaponization against Americans, however, are unsubstantiated and misleading, according to reports. The president's two federal indictments were brought by Jack Smith, a special counsel appointed in November 2022 by then-Attorney General Merrick Garland. The indictments do not demonstrate any interference from President Joe Biden.
- In response to Trump's allegations, several media business outlets have noted the potential for defamation lawsuits, given his baseless accusations against them in 2022.
- The DOJ, under the Biden administration, has continued to move forward with its investigations, as evidenced by the indictments filed by special counsel Jack Smith in November 2022, contradicting Trump's claims of DOJ weaponization.
- As the business of media continues to evolve, it remains to be seen how Trump's ongoing attacks on various outlets might impact the overall landscape in the coming years.
