The War On News

How governments have limited journalists, 1900 to today.

Search in North America, head of government Donald Trump

The number of entries reflects the depth of this record, not the severity of a country's conduct.

27 incidents match this view.

Country: United States, RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180

Continent: North America

Tactic: Access bans (11) Funding and ownership pressure (8) Credential control (6) Lawsuits against the press (5) Surveillance and subpoenas (2) Prior restraint (2) Licensing and closure of outlets (1) Official labels (1) Detention and violence (1) Secrets and espionage laws (1)

Stage: Restrict (11) Pressure (12) Punish (3) Silence (1)

Outcome: Ongoing (10) Sustained (8) Reversed (6) Unknown (3)

Level: National (27)

Head of government: Donald Trump

DateIncidentCountryTacticHead of governmentOutcome
September 18, 2026United States: White House hard-pass deactivations for CNN, MS NOW and Politico reporters, September 2026United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (September 21, 2026)
July 10, 2026Customs officers seize Grayzone editor's phones at Virginia airport over Iran reportingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpReversed (July 17, 2026)
April 28, 2026Appeals court orders FCC to respond to challenge over 'news distortion' policyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (April 28, 2026)
October 31, 2025White House closes 'Upper Press' section of West Wing to reportersUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpSustained
October 15, 2025United States: News organizations turn in their Pentagon press credentials, October 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 19, 2025United States: Department of Defense press credential rules requiring approval before release of information, September 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpOngoing (April 9, 2026)
September 17, 2025United States: Federal Communications Commission chairman's remarks and the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live!, September 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpReversed (September 23, 2025)
September 15, 2025Trump files, then refiles, $15 billion defamation suit against the New York TimesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (October 16, 2025)
July 24, 2025FCC approves Paramount-Skydance merger after CBS ombudsman and anti-DEI pledgesUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (July 24, 2025)
July 18, 2025Trump sues Wall Street Journal and Rupert Murdoch over Epstein birthday letter storyUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing
July 18, 2025Congress cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding for public broadcastingUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (July 24, 2025)
July 1, 2025United States: Paramount settlement of Donald Trump's lawsuit over a 60 Minutes interview, July 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpSustained (July 1, 2025)
May 1, 2025United States: Executive Order 14290 directing an end to federal funding for NPR and PBS, May 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpUnknown
April 25, 2025United States: Department of Justice rescission of rules limiting subpoenas of journalists, April 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Surveillance and subpoenasDonald TrumpSustained (April 25, 2025)
April 22, 202560 Minutes executive producer resigns, citing lost editorial independenceUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpSustained (April 22, 2025)
April 15, 2025White House ends wire services' guaranteed seat in the press poolUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpSustained
March 15, 2025United States: U.S. Agency for Global Media action to shut down Voice of America operations, March 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing (March 28, 2025)
February 25, 2025United States: White House takes over selection of the presidential press pool, February 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpSustained (September 22, 2026)
February 11, 2025United States: White House exclusion of the Associated Press from the Oval Office and Air Force One, February 2025United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpOngoing (July 22, 2025)
February 6, 2025Border czar Tom Homan says ICE media ride-alongs may end over leaksUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpUnknown
January 22, 2025FCC chair reopens 'news distortion' complaints against CBS and NBCUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Funding and ownership pressureDonald TrumpOngoing
December 16, 2024Trump sues Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Selzer over final Iowa pollUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Lawsuits against the pressDonald TrumpOngoing (July 10, 2026)
September 12, 2020Political appointees alter CDC coronavirus guidance before public releaseUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Prior restraintDonald TrumpUnknown
July 23, 2020Federal officers restrict press access to Portland protests; judge orders them to stopUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Access bansDonald TrumpReversed (July 23, 2020)
May 23, 2019United States indicts WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange under the Espionage ActUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Secrets and espionage lawsDonald TrumpReversed (June 25, 2024)
November 7, 2018White House revokes CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credential after a news conference exchange with President TrumpUnited States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)
November 7, 2018United States: White House suspension of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's hard pass, November 2018United States (RSF 2026 rank: 64th of 180)Credential controlDonald TrumpReversed (November 19, 2018)
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