The War On News

A record of government actions against journalism and fact-based reporting, from the first press laws to today

Actor

Donald Trump

Engraving of an official's desk with a signed, sealed document and a pen

Published 2026-09-22. Last reviewed 2026-09-22. 0 sources.

Kind
person
Role
President of the United States
Jurisdiction
United States

Incidents

DateIncidentRoleStatus
18 September 2026CNN, MS NOW, Politico hard passes deactivated, 2026announcedenjoined
10 July 2026Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reportingotherreversed
31 October 2025White House closes 'Upper Press' section of West Wing to reportersotherin effect
15 September 2025Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York Timesorderedin effect
18 July 2025Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter storyorderedin effect
18 July 2025Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcastingorderedin effect
1 July 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025otherin effect
1 May 2025United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025orderedin effect
22 April 202560 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independenceotherin effect
15 April 2025White House ends wire services' guaranteed seat in the press poolorderedin effect
15 March 2025United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025orderedin effect
25 February 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025orderedin effect
11 February 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025orderedin effect
16 December 2024Trump sues Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer over final Iowa pollorderedin effect
12 September 2020Political appointees alter CDC coronavirus guidance before public releaseotherin effect
23 July 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopotherreversed
23 May 2019United States indicts WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage Actotherhistorical
7 November 2018White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President Trumporderedhistorical
7 November 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018otherin effect

Timeline for Donald Trump ยท 27 incidents while head of government