BRIEFING ROOM

DEMOCRACY DIES IN DARKNESS
April 18, 2025

​

During his first term, President Donald Trump launched relentless attacks on the media, branding them “the enemy of the people,” a “threat to democracy,” “fake,” and “crooked bastards” he vowed to prosecute. He even went so far as to suggest that the threat of prison rape might compel a journalist to reveal a confidential source, saying, “When this person realizes that he is going to be the bride of another prisoner shortly, he will say, ‘I’d very much like to tell you exactly who that was.’”

Now, unshackled by any constraints, Trump appears determined to fulfill his promise to intimidate and suppress the press. His vendetta against journalism includes manipulating access to the White House press room and handpicking who gets to report on him.

His latest target: the Associated Press (AP), a venerable newswire founded in 1846. Trump’s fury was ignited when the AP refused to use his preferred term, “Gulf of America,” in place of the Gulf of Mexico. In retaliation, he removed them from the White House press pool.

A federal judge ordered the administration to reinstate the AP’s access, but the White House refused to comply. Shortly after the ruling, an AP reporter and photographer were blocked from joining the press motorcade. Trump, undeterred by legal authority, circumvented the decision entirely by eliminating the wire service slot in the daily rotation.

This isn’t just a petty spat. The AP plays a vital role in American journalism, providing syndicated stories, photos, and videos to outlets that lack the resources for full-time reporters or foreign bureaus. Silencing the AP means cutting off a crucial source of information for countless newsrooms—and by extension, for the American public.

Trump’s move also sends a strong message to other media outlets: if they don’t play by his rules and show loyalty, they should be prepared to face consequences, including being silenced. Transparency is a hallmark of a healthy democracy and the enemy of autocracy.

Democracy dies in darkness. But it can still struggle in the twilight. Free press matters.

​