Trump Uses the Courts to Intimidate Critics. The Media Must Fight Back.

The Trump administration is accused of using federal agencies and legal actions to intimidate critical media and nonprofit organizations. This strategy involves launching pretextual investigations, as seen with the FTC's probe into Media Matters for America, and pursuing charges against journalists like Don Lemon and Georgia Fort under the FACE Act. Additionally, tactics include searching reporters' homes and seizing devices, and using administrative subpoenas to unmask anonymous social media critics. These actions aim to stifle speech and create a "culture of fear" among those who question power, threatening press freedom and public access to critical information.