New York Times: “Since his earliest candidate days, when chants of ‘CNN sucks!’ rang out at rallies, Mr. Trump has used the media as a reliable punching bag. And in his second term, he has drastically escalated his attacks, drawing on the levers of government — issuing subpoenas, seizing devices and using regulatory pressure — to intimidate outlets that displease him. Mr. Trump has also sought to bar The Associated Press from parts of the White House and started handpicking which journalists can attend certain events.”
“His abrupt White House ban was another novel effort to micromanage his coverage. And with Republicans worrying about a bleak midterm outlook, Mr. Trump’s allies seized the moment to rehash the usual complaints about a corrupt liberal media — perhaps a soothing topic for a president whose poll numbers have dipped.”
“But Mr. Trump, inadvertently or not, had also threatened something he deems precious: his own television coverage.”
