Donald Trump on Friday spread the threat to the media, suggesting that news outlets’ actions were deemed illegal and should be subject to investigation.
“The CNN and MS-DNC, who literally write that they are 97.6% bad about me, are the political weapons of the Democrats and, in my opinion, they are really corrupt, they are illegal and they believe it’s illegal.”
“These networks and these newspapers are really no different to well-paid political operatives,” Trump continued, claiming CNN and MSNBC are corrupt.
“And that has to stop, it has to be illegal, it has an impact on judges, it’s a really changing law, it’s just not legal. I don’t think it’s legal, they do it completely in tune with each other,” he added.
On Saturday, the government-employed Journalists at Voice of America (VOA) was placed on administrative leave the day after Trump, along with six other federal agencies, signed an order to eliminate the US agency (USAGM) of the VOA parent company Global Media (USAGM).
According to an internal memo obtained by Hill, the VOA reporter, broadcasting news, information and cultural programming to global audiences, adding that it was “not made for disciplinary purposes,” was placed on “managed leave and benefits with full wages and benefits until otherwise notified.”
The decision to place VOA employees on administrative leave comes the day after parents moved to end their contract with The Associated Press, Reuters and Assen France Press, informing journalists on Friday to cease use of Wire Services materials.
Former broadcaster Kari Lake has become a Republican politician chosen by Trump to run the VOA, and estimates the move will save $53 million and says “we shouldn’t pay outside news organizations to tell you what news is.” Lake was Trump’s loyalty and immigrant hardliners, and has inflicted him on his dogmatic commitment to the falsehood that both she and Trump are victims of election fraud.
The latest move comes as conflicts between the White House and the administration’s covering media have risen in recent weeks, and the White House has come to control the media pool from the White House Correspondents Association.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said last month that members of the White House press pool will be elected by administrative staff.
It came after a highly publicized dispute between the White House and the Associated Press over the Wire Agency’s decision not to adopt the name of the US Gulf in its stylebook instead of the Gulf of Mexico.
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The White House then restricted access to the AP’s oval office and the Air Force. At the court’s challenge to overturn the White House ban, Associated Press lawyers described the ban as “a constitutional issue.”
“We don’t insist that the US president must answer Associated Press questions,” Charles Tobin said. “The problem is, if he can no longer say to the press pool, “I don’t like you. You’re fake news. Get out.”
However, the White House argues that access to the oval office and the president of the Onboard Air Force 1 is a privilege and not a legal right. Last month, a federal judge refused to immediately restore access to the Associated Press. The news organization said it had not demonstrated irreparable harm.
A subsequent hearing on the issue is set for next week, but Trump said he plans to “put out the Associated Press until they agree to be the Gulf of America.” We are extremely proud of this country and hope it will become the Gulf of America. ”
