RSF condemns Trump’s latest assault on press freedom
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is appalled by the Trump campaign’s latest threat against journalists. RSF demands an immediate apology and retraction from Mr. Trump, and urges Americans, regardless of political affiliation, to reject this authoritarian impulse that threatens the right to information.
Former President Donald Trump has been ramping up his anti-democratic rhetoric on the campaign trail in recent months, suggesting a more extreme second term if re-elected. Asked in an interview by Fox News host Sean Hannity whether he would abuse power and retaliate against opponents if re-elected, Donald Trump said he wouldn’t “except for Day One.”
This chilling dictatorial promise was matched by Trump advisor Kash Patel telling a podcast hosted by former Trump campaign manager Steve Bannon that a second Trump presidency would specifically punish the media. Bannon also directly targeted the staff of MSNBC show Morning Joe, saying, “This is not rhetoric. We are absolutely dead serious.”
“Donald Trump and his advisors have made it clear that from Day One he’ll behave like a dictator in the White House who will target the independent media that criticize him. This should be disqualifying grounds for any candidate to lead a democratic nation, much less the country of the First Amendment. Americans of all political persuasions should condemn Trump’s authoritarianism that threatens their right to information.”
Trump previously mused about jailing journalists during a 2022 rally. During his term in office, the United States saw a marked decline in press freedom according to the World Press Freedom Index, and a record number of journalists were arrested.