The Trump administration is once again escalating its attack on the free press, this time by threatening to revoke the broadcast license of CBS—an unprecedented move in modern American politics that marks a direct assault on the First Amendment.
Once again, the attacks on the media are escalating. I need your help to stay independent and to fight back. Please consider subscribing today.
Trump-appointed FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has announced he is considering pulling CBS’s license, citing penalties outlined in the Communications Act. This isn’t a theoretical statement or idle musing; it is a concrete signal that Trump allies in government are willing to weaponize federal regulatory powers to silence news organizations that criticize the president.
This move is not just anti-press—it is anti-democratic. The threat to CBS is not about regulatory compliance, community standards, or technical violations. It is a retaliation against reporting that Donald Trump doesn’t like. It’s an authoritarian tactic straight out of the strongman playbook: punish dissent, intimidate journalists, and consolidate control over the public narrative.
Donald Trump has a long, well-documented history of hostility toward the media. He has repeatedly labeled news outlets “the enemy of the people,” called for the revocation of licenses, and encouraged supporters to distrust and vilify journalists. Now, with this latest maneuver, his administration is moving beyond rhetoric and into action.
Revoking a broadcaster’s license for its editorial decisions is a blatant violation of the First Amendment. It’s not just unethical—it’s unconstitutional. The press exists to hold power accountable, not to serve at its pleasure. When government officials attempt to silence journalists through the threat of legal or regulatory punishment, they cross a red line that endangers the very fabric of democratic society.
This is not about CBS. This is about whether a president can use state power to crush independent journalism. If this precedent is set—if the government is allowed to dictate which voices are permitted to speak—then the United States will no longer be a free society in any meaningful sense.
Every American should see this for what it is: an authoritarian assault on the free press. It must be condemned without hesitation, and it must be resisted with every legal, civic, and political tool available. The future of democracy depends on it.
Share this post