Written by Jonathan Fisher.
On February 20, 2025, the Trump administration unleashed a sweeping probe into the establishment media, targeting what it deems pervasive bias—a move that has sent shockwaves through an industry already reeling from a record-low trust slump documented by Gallup in October 2024. President Donald Trump’s long-standing disdain, voiced as “I absolutely HATE the Fake News Media” during his 2024 campaign, now fuels a multi-front offensive involving federal agencies and GOP allies. For Americans disillusioned with news—or wary of government overreach—this clash marks a pivotal moment in the battle over information control.
Trump’s Multi-Pronged Media Offensive
The administration’s strategy unfolds across seven distinct actions. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) probes PBS and NPR for potential rule breaches tied to on-air sponsor mentions, while separately examining Comcast/NBCUniversal’s diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices. Another FCC inquiry targets CBS, investigating whether it broke regulations by editing Vice President Kamala Harris’s 60 Minutes interview—a cut critics say skewed her image.
Meanwhile, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene drives a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) subcommittee hearing, summoning NPR and PBS to answer for “systemically biased content.” The Defense Department slashes NPR, NBC News, Politico, and CNN from Pentagon workspaces, and the executive branch cancels subscriptions to outlets like Politico. The White House ups the ante, barring the Associated Press (AP) from Oval Office and Air Force One events after AP refused to ditch its speech codes.
For a veteran in Virginia, who skips cable news for X, this might feel like a overdue reckoning—trust in media hit 31% in 2024 per Gallup, a nosedive from decades past. Yet, the breadth—FCC, DOGE, Pentagon—hints at a coordinated push, not a scattershot gripe.
Media’s Reaction and Historical Context
The backlash erupted fast. AP decried its White House ban as “a deeply troubling escalation,” slamming Trump’s “continued efforts to punish” its editorial stance—a rebuttal penned last week after a Modi-Trump press event lockout. Axios reporter Sara Fischer labeled it “bullying and harassment,” claiming Trump outstrips any leader since America’s founding in targeting media. CNN’s Brian Stelter, once burned by falsely tagging Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation, accused Trump of playing “Word Police.”
Jim Friedlich, head of the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, urged a “commitment to collective action” among outlets—a call to arms against what they see as a First Amendment siege. This isn’t new turf; media-Trump friction peaked in 2020 when Politico ran a story—pushed by 51 ex-intel officials—dismissing Hunter Biden’s laptop as Russian disinformation. The FBI had the device, abandoned at a Delaware repair shop, proving its authenticity—yet Biden leaned on the tale in a debate, a move allegedly teed up by Antony Blinken.
For a teacher in Pennsylvania who recalls that election, the echo rings loud—media missteps then fuel Trump’s case now. The administration casts this as bias correction; outlets cry censorship, a standoff with roots a decade deep.
Stakes for Media and Public Trust
Trump’s offensive lands amid a trust crisis—Gallup’s 2024 low of 31% reflects years of polarized coverage, from COVID to elections. The FCC probes—PBS, NPR, CBS—target public and corporate giants, questioning if rules bent to favor narratives. Greene’s DOGE hearing amplifies this, probing tax-funded content for slant, while Pentagon and White House cuts signal a broader purge of “establishment” voices—CNN’s 7.5 million nightly viewers, Politico’s Beltway clout, gone from official channels.
The AP ban stings sharpest—a wire service feeding thousands of outlets, now sidelined for clinging to speech guidelines Trump deems stifling. For a retiree in Ohio skipping headlines, this might barely register; for journalists, it’s a chokehold on access. Media’s “freakout”—Axios’ term—frames it as democracy’s peril, but Trump’s base sees a reckoning for years of perceived lies—like the laptop saga, debunked yet damaging.
The stakes stretch beyond newsrooms. If probes find violations—say, FCC rules breached—fines or license threats could loom. If not, Trump’s push might falter, emboldening critics. Either way, trust, already razor-thin, teeters—readers weigh bias versus bullying, a line blurring fast.
Our Take
Trump’s large-scale media offensive tackles a real rot—Gallup’s 31% trust in 2024 proves bias isn’t imagined, and the laptop fiasco shows outlets can peddle falsehoods with impunity. FCC probes, DOGE hearings, and access cuts wield a blunt hammer, hitting PBS to AP with force that could jolt accountability. For taxpayers tired of skewed news—like that Ohio retiree—it’s a swing at fairness, a chance to reset a tilted field.
Yet, the breadth alarms. Banning AP, slashing Pentagon feeds—seven fronts at once—risks overreach, swapping one bias for another. Media’s “First Amendment” howl holds weight; stifle too hard, and you choke dissent, not just distortion. Trump’s fix could sharpen trust if it proves rules were bent—but if it’s vengeance, not reform, it’ll deepen the divide it claims to heal.
