Trump Says It’s ‘Illegal’ for Media to Write Bad About Him ‘Criminalizing’ Free Speech
President Donald Trump is facing viral condemnation for claiming media outlets critical of him are operating “illegally.”
Speaking at the Department of Justice, Trump accused CNN and MSNBC—mockingly referring to the latter as "MSDNC"—of being "political arms of the Democrat Party" and claimed that their overwhelmingly negative coverage of him is “corrupt” and "illegal."
"I believe that CNN and MSDNC, who literally write 97.6% bad about me, are political arms of the Democrat Party. And in my opinion, they are really corrupt and they are illegal. What they do is illegal," Trump stated.
His remarks immediately had folks ringing the alarm, with many warning such rhetoric threatens press freedom and the First Amendment.
"Calling the free press illegal doesn’t sound fascist at all. Nope," one X user responded.
Calling the free press illegal doesn’t sound fascist at all. Nope.
— Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) March 14, 2025
“Well now. This feels like an escalation, doesn't it? Criminalizing the free press is an openly fascist trajectory. Dark times for the US and for the wider world if this is allowed to continue,” another added.
Well now. This feels like an escalation, doesn't it?
— Don McGowan (@donmcgowan) March 14, 2025
Criminalising the free press is an openly fascist trajectory.
Dark times for the US and for the wider world if this is allowed to continue.
One person pointed to historical parallels, noting Adolf Hitler suppressed free press through The Reich Press Law in 1933.
After becoming Chancellor in 1933, Hitler quickly moved to suppress the freedom of the press with The Reich Press Law.
— Republican 🇺🇸 (@Sjacobs2020) March 14, 2025
It effectively banned independent journalism, mandating that all press align with Nazi ideology, under threat of closure or worse.
In a March 1933 speech, he…
“Should Biden have said the same about Fox News and Newsmax? He didn't. The First Amendment is unchanged, and you do not have the right to declare opinions to be illegal,” another commented.
Trump has long had a contentious relationship with legacy media, often dismissing critical coverage of him with his signature catchphrase,"fake news."
Experts warn that a second Trump administration could directly endanger First Amendment freedoms.
According to the ACLU, Trump has already flouted a willingness to use federal agencies to target political opponents, protestors, and journalists, stating that he has "an absolute right" to control the Department of Justice.
The organization cautioned that such rhetoric, combined with efforts to suppress dissent, could have far-reaching consequences.
“Executive branch officials therefore wield enormous discretion when they decide which investigations to pursue, with potentially devastating consequences for individual rights. This means that a president who flouts laws and norms governing the exercise of these executive powers can wreak havoc,” the ACLU stated.
