White House Pushes to Control CNN, WaPo Newsrooms
The White House has made it clear that control of the media is a top priority for President Trump's second term. In recent days, he has permitted high-profile figures to express support for his administration while also targeting journalists who question him.
A notable example is Zohran Mamdani, New York City Mayor-Elect, who was invited to the Oval Office and reaffirmed his assessment that Trump is a fascist. The President's warm welcome to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom US intelligence links to the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, also sparked controversy.
When ABC News reporter Mary Bruce asked about the crown prince's connection to Khashoggi's murder and Trump's reversal on releasing Epstein files, she was reprimanded by the President, calling her "insubordinate" and a "terrible person." He even recommended that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr revoke ABC's broadcast license.
This is not an isolated incident. Other MAGA figures are exerting pressure on major journalistic institutions to place ideological loyalists into key media roles while pushing out dissenting voices. Vice President JD Vance revealed that he wants Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of The Washington Post, to hand over control of his newsroom to Matthew Boyle, an editor at the conservative media outlet Breitbart.
Vance's recommendation was made during a fireside chat with Boyle, where he called him "the most well-sourced journalist in Washington, D.C." Shortly after Trump returned to the White House, Bezos announced a "significant shift" of The Post's opinion page to focus on "free markets and personal liberties."
The effort to restructure mainstream media from the inside out is not limited to opinion pages. Newsrooms themselves are being targeted. Institutional capture through ownership, power over personnel, and regulatory instruments can exert control over mass media – a defining characteristic of fascism.
Trump has long referred to the press as "the enemy of the people," a phrase with brutal history under authoritarian regimes. The President's contempt for a free, independent press tells us where his loyalties lie – and what a bleak future could hold.
The push by MAGA figures to control CNN and The Washington Post raises serious concerns about the erosion of freedom of the press in the United States. As one journalist noted, "We're doing what's called journalism," said Matthew Boyle earlier this year. However, his antipathy toward legitimate news outlets is not new, as he declared that "the goal eventually is the full destruction and elimination of the entire mainstream media."
The reported push behind closed doors highlights the White House's efforts to exert control over CNN, including the potential firing of anchors like Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar. The move would undoubtedly thrill Trump, who has expressed disdain for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.
As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that MAGA's effort to restructure mainstream media from the inside out is a hallmark of authoritarian control. The future of free speech in the United States hangs in the balance.
The White House has made it clear that control of the media is a top priority for President Trump's second term. In recent days, he has permitted high-profile figures to express support for his administration while also targeting journalists who question him.
A notable example is Zohran Mamdani, New York City Mayor-Elect, who was invited to the Oval Office and reaffirmed his assessment that Trump is a fascist. The President's warm welcome to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, whom US intelligence links to the 2018 murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi, also sparked controversy.
When ABC News reporter Mary Bruce asked about the crown prince's connection to Khashoggi's murder and Trump's reversal on releasing Epstein files, she was reprimanded by the President, calling her "insubordinate" and a "terrible person." He even recommended that Federal Communications Commission Chairman Brendan Carr revoke ABC's broadcast license.
This is not an isolated incident. Other MAGA figures are exerting pressure on major journalistic institutions to place ideological loyalists into key media roles while pushing out dissenting voices. Vice President JD Vance revealed that he wants Jeff Bezos, the billionaire owner of The Washington Post, to hand over control of his newsroom to Matthew Boyle, an editor at the conservative media outlet Breitbart.
Vance's recommendation was made during a fireside chat with Boyle, where he called him "the most well-sourced journalist in Washington, D.C." Shortly after Trump returned to the White House, Bezos announced a "significant shift" of The Post's opinion page to focus on "free markets and personal liberties."
The effort to restructure mainstream media from the inside out is not limited to opinion pages. Newsrooms themselves are being targeted. Institutional capture through ownership, power over personnel, and regulatory instruments can exert control over mass media – a defining characteristic of fascism.
Trump has long referred to the press as "the enemy of the people," a phrase with brutal history under authoritarian regimes. The President's contempt for a free, independent press tells us where his loyalties lie – and what a bleak future could hold.
The push by MAGA figures to control CNN and The Washington Post raises serious concerns about the erosion of freedom of the press in the United States. As one journalist noted, "We're doing what's called journalism," said Matthew Boyle earlier this year. However, his antipathy toward legitimate news outlets is not new, as he declared that "the goal eventually is the full destruction and elimination of the entire mainstream media."
The reported push behind closed doors highlights the White House's efforts to exert control over CNN, including the potential firing of anchors like Erin Burnett and Brianna Keilar. The move would undoubtedly thrill Trump, who has expressed disdain for Comcast CEO Brian Roberts.
As the situation continues to unfold, it is clear that MAGA's effort to restructure mainstream media from the inside out is a hallmark of authoritarian control. The future of free speech in the United States hangs in the balance.
This is getting really concerning. I don't know what kind of "free markets and personal liberties" Bezos' new direction for The Post will even look like, but it's already sounding super sketchy 
. Can we trust a news outlet when they're basically being controlled by a bunch of MAGA figures? 
It's not like the press is "the enemy of the people", it's just doing its job and holding those in power accountable 
! Like, I get that politicians want to have their voices heard but not at the cost of freedom of press? 
Trump's whole "enemy of the people" thing is super concerning... how far will this go?! 
! Trump's 2nd term is all about controllin CNN & WaPo newsrooms, lol what a joke! He's tryna push out anyone who dont agree w/ him and bring in his own ppl who are gonna spew propaganda 24/7 
. Newsflash: fascism isnt cool, bruv 
. Trump's all about "the enemy of the people" vibe, but really its just him bein salty cuz ppl r callin him out for his shady moves 
. This is super sketchy, esp w/ Vice President Vance tryna control The Post like its his own personal blog 
. We need 2 protect our press freedom, stat! 
It's not cool that Zohran Mamdani got invited to the Oval Office after trashing Trump as a fascist, and then Mary Bruce gets reprimanded for asking tough questions. I mean, who does the President think he is? 
. What's next? A government-run media outlet that only broadcasts what Trump wants to hear? 
No thanks, we need a free press to hold our leaders accountable 
They're trying to control CNN and WaPo newsrooms like it's their own personal playground. It's like they think the press is just a tool for them to spew whatever propaganda they want out there. Newsflash: we need a free press to hold 'em accountable! 
We didn't need no government telling us how to think or who to listen to. We had real journalism that told it like it was! 
like it's an enemy state. Newsrooms are being dismantled, and people who actually know what they're talking about are being pushed out. I'm not saying the media is perfect either, but this kind of control freak behavior is not healthy for democracy 
. Who's next? Are we going to see our favorite news anchors replaced by MAGA-approved sycophants?
. This is what happens when you surround yourself with yes-men and sycophants 
. We need to stand up and demand that our press remains free from interference 
. The last thing we need is some partisan hack deciding what news gets printed or broadcast 
.
and he was all like Trump's a fascist lololol! I'm dead. And what's with all these new faces in media trying 2 take over 
Jeff Bezos handing over The Post? 
but like, we gotta stay vigilant & fight 4 our freedom of the press 
And now CNN is in their crosshairs, with some journalist getting reprimanded for asking tough questions 
.
. We need to keep an eye on this situation and make sure it doesn't slip away from us