Against the backdrop of war in the Middle East, Donald Trump threatens press freedom in the name of national security

In the United States, Donald Trump has threatened to imprison journalists who revealed sensitive information about an American pilot whose fighter jet was shot down over Iran, raising concerns about media independence and respect for the First Amendment.

Published on 04/09/2026 at 12:51

Reading time: 3min

The relationship between Donald Trump and the media has long been strained. Press freedom seems to have become a bargaining chip for the Trump administration.

This week, a new milestone was reached when the president threatened to imprison journalists. This is a threat that would have been unimaginable coming from a U.S. president.

In reality, Donald Trump accuses the media of revealing that one of the two crew members of the American fighter jet shot down over Iran a week ago was not immediately found and was still in enemy territory. After two days and a significant military operation, he was finally rescued.

The American president, however, believes that by publishing this information, the media endangered this soldier and those responsible for rescuing him. The Trump administration wants to know who leaked this information.

Donald Trump promises that the competent authorities will contact a specific media outlet, without naming it, and urge them to provide answers: “For reasons of national security, tell us who spoke, or you will go to jail.”

Despite a certain level of familiarity with the president’s exaggerations, this time, it strikes a sensitive chord: the First Amendment on freedom of expression, which guarantees press freedom.

The context in which this statement is made, amid a conflict with Iran, also explains why it has sparked so much reaction.

During a conflict, independent information becomes even more important, and that is precisely what Donald Trump seems to be targeting. The narrative of the conflict broadcasted by major American media does not align with the successful image the president wants to present to his fellow citizens.

This strategy, however, is not new. In October 2025, the Pentagon, the U.S. Department of Defense, required that media comply with new regulations preventing them from publishing information not validated by authorities. As a result, traditional media journalists were replaced by influencers and journalists favorable to the administration.

Press and journalist defense organizations had already protested against this measure, considering it a violation of the First Amendment. Since then, the court has ruled in favor of the New York Times, which had challenged this provision.

Reporters Without Borders claims that with these attacks, the United States risks moving closer to authoritarian regimes in its annual press freedom ranking.

In January 2026, the home of a Washington Post journalist was raided in an attempt to identify her sources within the administration, a “highly unusual and aggressive” step, as the editor-in-chief wrote at the time.

Donald Trump has launched numerous lawsuits against certain media outlets and has pocketed millions of dollars through agreements with their owners. His threats against the press also fuel self-censorship, warn journalist protection organizations, a situation they consider even worse than censorship itself.