Trump Sharpens Media War: Calls Press ‘Illegal’ and Tightens White House Grip

In yet another escalation of his battle with the press, former President Donald Trump has taken his attacks on the media to a new level, suggesting that the actions of certain news organizations should be deemed illegal and subject to investigation.

Trump’s Latest Salvo Against the Media

During a fiery speech at the Department of Justice on Friday, Trump lashed out at CNN and MSNBC, accusing them of being political operatives rather than legitimate news outlets.

“I believe that CNN and MS-DNC, who literally write 97.6% bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party, and in my opinion, they’re really corrupt and illegal,” Trump declared.

“These networks and these newspapers are no different than a highly paid political operative,” he continued. “And it has to stop. It has to be illegal. It’s influencing judges and changing laws—it just cannot be legal.”

This aggressive rhetoric is just the latest in Trump’s long-running war with mainstream media outlets, but now, he appears to be laying the groundwork for government action against them.

White House Takes Control of Press Access

Trump’s renewed offensive comes as the White House moves to seize greater control over press access. The administration recently stripped the White House Correspondents’ Association of its role in selecting members of the press pool. Now, officials from Trump’s inner circle will handpick which journalists get access to key presidential events.

Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move, saying, “The White House press pool should reflect the American people, not just the mainstream media’s agenda.”

The administration’s clampdown follows a highly publicized dispute with the Associated Press (AP). The White House banned AP reporters from the Oval Office and Air Force One after the wire service refused to adopt the term Gulf of America instead of Gulf of Mexico in its reporting.

AP Fights Back—But Trump Stands Firm

The AP has challenged its exclusion in court, with attorney Charles Tobin arguing that Trump’s actions pose a “constitutional problem.”

“We’re not arguing that the president has to answer AP’s questions,” Tobin stated. “The issue is that once he allows press access, he can’t just pick and choose who gets in based on personal preference.”

But the Trump administration has countered that media access is a privilege, not a legal right. A federal judge recently declined to immediately restore AP’s White House credentials, saying the organization had not demonstrated “irreparable harm.”

Trump, meanwhile, has been unyielding, insisting that AP will remain locked out “until such time as they agree that it’s the Gulf of America.”

“We’re very proud of this country, and we want it to be the Gulf of America,” he added.

Voice of America Purge: Cutting Off Independent Journalism

Beyond the White House, the Trump administration has also taken aim at government-funded journalism. On Friday, the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America (VOA), announced it would be cutting ties with major wire services, including the Associated Press, Reuters, and Agence France-Presse.

Kari Lake, a former TV journalist and Trump loyalist who now heads VOA, justified the move as a cost-saving measure, estimating it would save $53 million.

“We should not be paying outside news organizations to tell us what the news is,” Lake declared.

Lake, a staunch supporter of Trump, made headlines for her unwavering belief in election fraud conspiracy theories. Now, she’s at the helm of America’s global broadcasting arm, shaping its editorial direction.

The Bigger Picture: A War on the Free Press?

Trump’s increasingly aggressive stance against the media signals a troubling shift toward restricting press freedoms. From controlling White House access to cutting off funding for independent journalism, the former president is reshaping the media landscape in ways that could have long-term implications.

While his supporters see these moves as necessary to combat “fake news,” critics argue they are steps toward authoritarian control over the press. The battle between Trump and the media is far from over, and its outcome could redefine the role of journalism in American democracy.