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President Donald Trump has intensified his attacks on the U.S. media, denouncing major news networks CNN and MSNBC as “illegal” while signing an executive order to dismantle the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), the parent organization of Voice of America (VoA). The move has sparked outrage as government-employed journalists at VoA were placed on administrative leave with full pay and benefits on Saturday.
Trump Labels CNN and MSNBC ‘Illegal’ in DOJ Speech
During a fiery speech at the Department of Justice on Friday, Trump accused CNN and MSNBC of acting as “political arms” of the Democratic Party. “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 they’re illegal,” Trump claimed.
The president argued that mainstream media outlets are unfairly influencing judicial decisions and public opinion. “It has to stop, it has to be illegal, it’s influencing judges and it’s really changing law,” he said. Trump’s comments have intensified concerns about press freedom under his administration.
Voice of America Journalists Suspended
A day after Trump signed an order dismantling USAGM and six other federal agencies, reporters at VoA were placed on administrative leave. An internal memo obtained by The Hill clarified that the move was “not being done for any disciplinary purpose.” The decision comes as USAGM also ended contracts with major news agencies, including the Associated Press (AP), Reuters, and Agence France-Presse (AFP), effectively cutting VoA’s access to external wire services.
Kari Lake, a former broadcaster turned Republican politician, was appointed by Trump to lead VoA. Lake, a staunch Trump ally and election fraud conspiracy theorist, justified the move, estimating it would save $53 million. “We should not be paying outside news organizations to tell us what the news is,” she said.
White House Moves to Control Press Pool Access
The latest media crackdown follows the White House’s decision to strip the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) of its authority to manage press pool access. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that White House officials will now directly select which journalists cover presidential events. This shift came after a heated dispute between the administration and the Associated Press over the agency’s refusal to adopt the term “Gulf of America” instead of “Gulf of Mexico.”
Press Freedom Under Threat?
Trump’s actions have alarmed press freedom advocates, who warn of increasing government control over independent journalism. Critics argue that dissolving USAGM and sidelining VoA journalists could signal a broader effort to control narratives and silence dissenting voices in the media.
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