Trump has been at war with the media since his first presidential election, calling them the “enemy of the people.” Now, the Trump administration is taking it to the next level with open attacks on CBS, Politico US, and The Associated Press.
On Wednesday, White House singled out Politico after conservative political pundit Kyle Becker claimed that it received funds from USAID. Other major publications, like The New York Post and The Washington Post, are also in the spotlight as “conspiracy theories” begin circulating on the internet.
White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, claimed that the federal government has spent more than $8 million on Politico, essentially “subsidizing subscriptions.” She added that DOGE is working on ending such subscriptions.
On Thursday, Trump also attacked CBS News, calling for its program ‘60 Minutes’ to be terminated and demanding that the network be shut down immediately. He posted on Truth Social, accusing CBS 60 Minutes of “election interference” for allegedly editing an interview with Kamala Harris. In his next post, he attempted to tie CBS to the Politico “conspiracy theory.”
US Media Stands Firm Against Trump’s Pressure Campaign
Under growing pressure from right-wing conspiracy theorists, including “co-president” Elon Musk, Politico US released a memo clarifying the situation. According to the memo, Politico has never received any “grants” or “funding” from the federal government. Instead, federal agencies, including USAID, pay subscription fees to Politico like any other user.
Politico US and The Associated Press clarified that it is common practice for governments—federal and state, Democratic or Republican—to subscribe to news providers to stay informed on important issues. For instance, the U.S. State Department relies on international news providers to gather relevant information about countries in which the U.S. has strategic interests.
The Real Agenda Behind Trump’s Attacks on US Media
Donald Trump’s attacks on the US media aim to undermine their credibility and delegitimize critical reporting about him and his administration. Simply put, if people don’t trust the US media, they won’t trust its criticism of Trump either.
A Gallup report found that during Trump’s first term, only 10% of Republican voters trusted the media, compared to 73% of Democratic voters. Beyond discrediting media outlets critical of him, Trump’s rhetoric also puts journalists in danger.
During Trump’s tenure, the U.S. saw an twelvefold increase in journalist arrests and an eightfold rise in physical attacks on reporters. Trump himself has openly stated that his goal is to demean and discredit the US media so that no one believes them when they report negatively about him.
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