President-elect Donald Trump urged Republicans to "kill" a bill that would provide additional protections for journalists and their sources, Newsweek reported. Trump previously supported the bipartisan legislation but has misgivings about malicious media hiding behind such protections.
During Trump's first term as president, there were many leaks to the press from insiders and a barrage of negative press from those who simply disliked his politics. Now, Trump is trying to plug up those leaks and temper the media's power by encouraging Republicans to shoot down a bill that would give them cover.
In a post to Truth Social Wednesday, Trump shared an update from PBS News about the details and status of the bill. "REPUBLICANS MUST KILL THIS BILL!" Trump wrote.
The legislation, known as the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act, has already succeeded in Congress. It was sponsored by Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin and GOP Rep. Kevin Kiley and passed the House of Representatives in January.
Raskin said the victory moved the U.S. "closer to establishing our first federal press shield law ever" at the time. "This awesome bipartisan vote at a time of party polarization underscores the binding power and universal appeal of freedom of the press as a leading constitutional principle," the Maryland Democrat noted.
Kiley similarly had high hopes for the bill's effect, noting that both parties "have unjustly targeted journalists and used compulsory process to obtain information from them about their sources." He believed that the PRESS Act was long overdue.
"Most states have protected journalists from such interference, and it is past time for Congress to do so as well," Kiley said. The bill is currently under consideration in the Senate Judiciary Committee, where it is under review.
Although many free press advocates are pulling for its passage, Trump has been on the receiving end of attacks that fall under media protections. He has also threatened to pull licenses from media outlets that weaponize their coverage against him, but this turn away from supporting media protections has blindsided Congress.
Since Trump's first presidential run, the establishment media has been out to get him and wasn't even hiding it anymore in the 2024 campaign. This was apparent in how CBS treated an interview with his opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris, on 60 Minutes.
According to Fox News, Trump was outraged after the network spliced together an answer Harris gave to make her appear more confident and competent. Trump called it a "giant Fake News Scam by CBS & 60 Minutes" and said the network should lose its license over it.
"TAKE AWAY THE CBS LICENSE. Election Interference," Trump wrote on his Truth Social at the time.
"She is a Moron, and the Fake News Media wants to hide that fact. An UNPRECEDENTED SCANDAL!!! The Dems got them to do this and should be forced to concede the Election? WOW!" Trump said.
Trump was justified in his anger at CBS, and he has suffered from the excesses of an unfriendly media out to get him. However, it's important that the U.S. continues to enjoy a free press and that the laws that ensure that are upheld even if they can be abused.
