The 'Enemy of the People' (War on Press)
A sustained effort to delegitimize critical journalism by labeling mainstream outlets as "fake news" and "enemies of the people," paired with retaliatory governance tactics. The pattern evolves from authoritarian rhetoric aimed at weakening independent scrutiny into attempts to use state power (funding, regulation, prosecutions, and access) to punish or intimidate media institutions. The pattern is documented as predating Trump's presidency: 2016 campaign-era threats to weaken libel protections and to revoke outlets' press credentials preceded the 'enemy of the people' framing adopted in office. By mid-2026 the mechanism extends to grand-jury subpoenas of individual reporters and explicit calls to revoke broadcast licenses after networks made independent editorial decisions.
The thread, event by event
- Threatens to "open up our libel laws" to sue media
During the 2016 campaign, Trump said he would "open up" libel laws so news organizations could be sued more easily over "purposely negative" coverage, an early statement of intent to use legal machinery against critical reporting, predating his presidency.
- Revokes Washington Post press credentials for coverage he calls “dishonest” and “phony”
Trump's campaign revoked The Washington Post's press credentials over coverage he called "dishonest" and "phony," an early instance of denying access to a specific outlet in response to unfavorable reporting.
- Declares media "the enemy of the American People" in authoritarian attack
The explicit adoption of authoritarian language to cast independent media as an illegitimate enemy.
- White House bars CNN, New York Times, other outlets from press gaggle
Days after branding the press "the enemy of the American people," the White House excluded CNN, the New York Times, and other outlets from an informal press gaggle while admitting friendlier outlets, turning the rhetoric into an access-control policy.
- Threatens to challenge NBC's broadcast license over nuclear arsenal report
After NBC reported on his private remarks about expanding the nuclear arsenal, Trump called the story fabricated and asked "at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License," the first documented instance of invoking federal broadcast-licensing authority against a network's reporting.
- Tells VFW convention "what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening"
Addressing the VFW national convention, Trump told the audience "what you're seeing and what you're reading is not what's happening," urging supporters to distrust independent observation of events in favor of his own account.
- Revokes Jim Acosta's press credentials after contentious news conference
The White House revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials after a contentious exchange, with Trump calling him "an enemy of the people"; a federal judge later ordered the credentials restored, the pattern's first judicial check.
- Calls New York Times 'true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE' after report on Whitaker and SDNY probe
After the New York Times reported on his inquiry about the SDNY investigation, Trump called the paper a "true ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE," extending the inception-era label to a second major outlet over unfavorable reporting.
- Trump Calls for Firing of Washington Post Columnist Eugene Robinson on Truth Social
Trump used Truth Social to call for a Washington Post columnist to be fired over criticism of the USAID shutdown, an early second-term instance of pressuring outlets to remove specific critical journalists.
- Signs EO 14290 directing CPB to end funding for NPR and PBS as 'biased media'
Second-term shift from rhetoric to executive retaliation: an order aimed at cutting funding streams to public media framed as politically biased.
- At NATO summit, attacks media and insists Iran sites were 'obliterated' despite early doubts
At the NATO summit, Trump lashes out at media reports and frames scrutiny as hostile disinformation.
- Trump Expands Defamation Lawsuit Against New York Times Over Unfavorable Poll, Suggests Criminalizing Surveys
Trump expanded his defamation lawsuit against the New York Times to include an unfavorable approval poll and suggested such surveys should be criminalized, converting the earlier libel-law rhetoric into active litigation and a criminalization proposal.
- FCC chair Carr threatens broadcast licenses over negative Iran war coverage after Trump media tirade
Trump's FCC chairman threatened the broadcast licenses of local stations over Iran-war coverage he called "hoaxes and news distortions," directly exercising the federal licensing authority Trump had first raised against NBC in 2017.
- DOJ subpoenas four New York Times reporters over Air Force One security leak reporting
The Justice Department issued grand-jury subpoenas to four New York Times reporters, with FBI agents delivering some to reporters' homes, after the paper's reporting on Air Force One security prompted a leak investigation.
- Trump threatens to revoke ABC and NBC broadcast licenses after networks decline to air his primetime election speech live
After ABC and NBC declined to carry his primetime election-security address on their main broadcast channels, Trump called for revoking their broadcast licenses and described the decision as "a plot," the most direct call yet to use federal licensing power against networks over an editorial choice.
Synthesis
AI synthesisThe core mechanism is inversion: journalism becomes "the enemy," and state retaliation becomes "defense" against bias. This reframing attempts to normalize the use of government power against speech institutions and to make factual accountability itself a partisan attack.