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Press Freedom: 'Enemy of the People' and Systematic Media Attacks

Trump's attacks on the press were systematic and escalating: he labeled specific organizations (CNN, NBC, the New York Times, Washington Post) 'fake news,' called reporters 'enemies of the people,' suggested revoking NBC's broadcast license, threatened to revoke press credentials, and cheered when supporters physically confronted journalists at rallies. Body-slammed a reporter (Greg Gianforte in Montana) and Trump endorsed him. Reporters covering Trump rallies documented being surrounded by hostile crowds. The Annenberg Foundation documented 2,000+ attacks on press freedom during the Trump presidency. Authoritarian governments around the world cited Trump's 'fake news' rhetoric when expelling journalists or restricting press access.

Record summary

Grade

Grade 4 of 5: Critical Rights and Rule-of-Law Concern

Systematic actions that undermine fundamental constitutional or international legal protections at the structural level. Scale and definitions

Status
Concluded
Incident date
Record updated
Location
Washington, D.C.
Category
Press Freedom
Legal posture
Reported
War-crime classification
Enabling conduct
Verification
Independently verified
ICC relevance
No
Sources
4 cited
Stable ID
trump-media-attacks-enemy-of-the-people
Victims
Working journalists subjected to threats and physical intimidation; press freedom globally weakened as authoritarian governments adopted 'fake news' rhetoric; U.S. public's access to independent information about government undermined
Alleged responsible parties
  • Donald Trump, President; systematic campaign of attacks on press freedom including 'enemy of the people' labeling, targeted credential revocations, broadcast license threats— White House

Key points

  • On February 17, 2017, Trump tweeted: 'The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!' — the phrase 'enemy of the people' was historically used by Stalin, Hitler, and Mao Zedong to describe political opponents before persecution; Trump used it to describe journalists at least 26 times
  • In October 2017, Trump tweeted about revoking NBC's broadcast license after unfavorable coverage, writing: 'Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked.' The FCC is an independent agency and the First Amendment prohibits revoking licenses based on content; the tweet was widely described as legally illiterate but functionally threatening
  • At a May 2017 rally in Montana, Trump praised Greg Gianforte — who had been charged with body-slamming Guardian reporter Ben Jacobs — saying 'any guy that can do a body slam, he's my kind of guy.' Gianforte was elected to Congress from Montana and later became governor
  • The administration revoked the press credentials of multiple journalists including CNN's Jim Acosta (November 2018, later restored by court order), suspended briefings for extended periods, and restricted pool access to the Oval Office
  • The Committee to Protect Journalists documented that authoritarian governments in China, Russia, Myanmar, Syria, and elsewhere specifically cited Trump's 'fake news' rhetoric when expelling foreign journalists, restricting press access, or characterizing critical coverage as enemy propaganda
  • Press freedom organizations including Reporters Without Borders and Freedom of the Press Foundation ranked the U.S. press freedom environment as significantly deteriorated during the Trump years; Reporters Without Borders dropped the U.S. in its annual index during this period

Overview

"Enemy of the people" is a phrase with a history. Stalin used it. Mao used it. It names a category of person whose elimination is politically justified. Trump applied it to journalists at least 26 times.

The context matters because the phrase was not accidental. It was a specific choice with specific historical associations, applied to a specific target.

The Pattern

Trump's press attacks were not random. They followed a recognizable structure: label the organization as fake, label the journalists as enemies, cheer when they're threatened, and restrict formal access when the reporting becomes inconvenient.

CNN's Jim Acosta had his credentials revoked and had them restored by court order. Briefings were suspended for weeks. Pool access was restricted. The result was a press corps that covered a president who had made threatening them part of his governing style.

The Global Effect

What happened in the United States did not stay there. The Committee to Protect Journalists documented a specific phenomenon: authoritarian governments adopted the "fake news" vocabulary in their own press restrictions. When Trump called the New York Times the enemy of the people, the vocabulary was available to every government that wanted to expel a journalist or shut down a newspaper.

The CPJ documented instances in China, Russia, Myanmar, and elsewhere where the "fake news" label was used explicitly — sometimes citing Trump — to justify actions against the press.

The Endorsement

In May 2019, Trump praised a congressman who had assaulted a journalist. "Any guy that can do a body slam," Trump said, "he's my kind of guy." The crowd cheered. Greg Gianforte was later elected governor of Montana.

International law engaged

InstrumentProvisionWhat it protects or prohibits
International Covenant on Civil and Political RightsArticle 19Freedom of expression — systematic presidential labeling of journalists as enemies and rhetoric inciting hostility toward press raises Article 19 concerns

Update log

  1. Updated with documented global adoption of 'fake news' rhetoric by authoritarian governments.

Sequence of events

  1. Trump introduces 'fake news' as systematic label

    Trump begins systematically applying the 'fake news' label to mainstream news organizations that report unfavorably. The phrase, previously used to describe fabricated internet content, is repurposed to delegitimize accurate journalism.

  2. Trump calls press 'enemy of the American People'

    Trump tweets that multiple mainstream news organizations are 'the enemy of the American People' — a phrase with documented historical use by authoritarian regimes to preface persecution of political opponents.

  3. Trump threatens NBC broadcast license over coverage

    After unfavorable NBC News coverage, Trump tweets that the FCC should challenge and revoke NBC's broadcast license. First Amendment lawyers call the threat legally invalid but functionally intimidating.

  4. CNN's Jim Acosta has credentials revoked

    The White House revokes CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press credentials after a contentious press briefing exchange. A federal court orders the credentials restored, finding the revocation violated due process.

  5. Trump praises body-slam of journalist at rally

    At a Montana rally, Trump praises Greg Gianforte — charged with assaulting a journalist — as 'my kind of guy.' The crowd cheers.

Sources

  1. Trump Calls the News Media the 'Enemy of the American People' — The New York Times
  2. Trump's attacks on the press: A running list — The Washington Post
  3. Press freedom groups document Trump attacks on media — The Associated Press
  4. Attacks on the Press: United States — Trump Era — Committee to Protect Journalists

How this record was published

Manually curated This entry was added directly and does not carry an automated audit trail.

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