US action against reporters
Posted: 19th May 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi has opened the door to “subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants to compel” reporters to reveal information about their sources, warning that the Justice Department “will not tolerate disclosures that undermine President Trump’s policies.”
Prior to Donald Trump’s election, Senate Democrats had the ability to permanently protect journalists and press freedom from overreach and intimidation by the Justice Department by passing the PRESS Act, which would have codified in law protections against subpoenaing reporters’ records.
The bill had bipartisan support, had already passed the House, and almost certainly would have been signed by President Joe Biden. But instead of passing it, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer let it die.
No journalist should go to jail for refusing to disclose confidential sources, but now news outlets like The Intercept face the risk of criminal prosecutions. Subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants must not be used to intimidate and silence media outlets from reporting the truth.
Trump’s Department of Justice during his first term secretly obtained the phone records of reporters for the Washington Post, CNN, and the New York Times.
During his campaign for reelection, Trump vowed retribution against media outlets and called for the arrests of journalists he doesn’t like. Now in office, he’s sued and reached a $15 million settlement from ABC and is reportedly negotiating a settlement in his $20 billion lawsuit with CBS.
Unless Congress reins in the Department of Justice’s powers, Attorney General Bondi will almost certainly act on Trump’s threats.
The bipartisan support for the PRESS Act last year is proof that members of Congress from both parties understand how important it is to protect journalists and the freedom of the press. Please take a moment to contact Congress now.
Thank you,
The Intercept Voices