Trump’s war on the press: 10 numbers from the first 100 days
As United States President Donald Trump reaches the 100-day mark of his second presidency on 29 April 2025, he continues to carry out the threats he made on the campaign trail against the news media by intensifying his monumental assault on press freedom.
In both his personal and official capacities, he is attacking the credibility, independence, and sustainability of the news media in the U.S. and around the world.
RSF lays out 10 key numbers that illustrate his administration’s unconstitutional assault on their country’s press freedom and the right to reliable information in the U.S. and globally.
Trump campaigned for the White House by unleashing a nearly endless barrage of insults against journalists and news outlets. He repeatedly threatened to weaponise the federal government against media professionals whom he considers his enemies. In his first 100 days in office, Trump has already shown that he was not bluffing.
‘The day-to-day chaos of the American political news cycle can make it hard to fully take stock of the seismic shifts that are happening,’ said Clayton Weimers, Executive Director, RSF North America. ‘But when you step back and look at the whole picture, the pattern of blows to press freedom is quite clear.’
‘RSF refuses to accept this massive attack on press freedom as the new normal. We will continue to call out these assaults against the press and use every means at our disposal to fight back against them. We urge every American who values press freedom to do the same.’
Here is the Trump administration’s war on the press by the numbers*:
- 427-million – weekly worldwide audience of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) news outlets silenced by Trump
In an effort to eliminate the USAGM by cutting grants to outlets funded by the federal agency and placing their reporters on leave, the government has left millions around the world without vital sources of reliable information. This leaves room for authoritarian regimes to spread propaganda unchecked. However, RSF recently secured an injunction against the administration’s dismantling of the USAGM-funded broadcaster Voice of America,which also reinstates funding to the outlets Radio Free Asia (RFA) and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks (MBN)
- 8 000+ – U.S. government web pages taken down
Webpages from more than a dozen government sites were removed almost immediately after Trump took office, leaving journalists and the public without critical information on health, crime and more
- 3 500+ – Journalists and media workers at risk of losing their jobs thanks to Trump’s shutdown of the USAGM
Journalists from VOA, the MBN, RFA, and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty are at risk of losing their jobs as the Trump administration works to shut down the USAGM. Furthermore, at least 84 USAGM journalists based in the U.S. on work visas now face deportation to countries where they risk prosecution and severe harassment. At least 15 journalists from RFA and eight from VOA originate from repressive states and are at serious risk of being arrested and potentially imprisoned if deported
- 180 – Public radio stations at risk of closing if public media funding is eliminated
The Trump administration reportedly plans to ask Congress to cut $1.1-billion in allocated funds for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which supports National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). These cuts will hit rural communities and stations in smaller media markets the hardest, where federal funding is most impactful
- 74 – Days Associated Press (AP) has been banned from the White House
On 11 February, the White House began barring AP from its events because of the news agency’s continued use of the term, ‘Gulf of Mexico’, which Trump prefers to call the ‘Gulf of America’ — a blatant example of retaliation against the media. Despite a federal judge ruling the administration must reinstate the news agency’s access on 9 April, the White House has continued to limit AP’s access
- 64 – Disparaging comments made by Trump against the media on Truth Social since inauguration
In addition to regular, personal attacks against the media in press conferences and public speeches, Trump takes to his social media site nearly every day to insult, threaten or intimidate journalists and media workers who report about him or his administration critically
- 13 – Individuals pardoned by Trump after being convicted or charged for attacking journalists on 6 January 2021
Trump pardoned over a dozen individuals charged with or convicted of violent crimes against journalists at the U.S. Capitol during the January 6 insurrection
- 6 – Federal Communications Commission (FCC) inquiries into media companies
Brendan Carr, co-author of the ‘Project 2025’ playbook and chair of the FCC, has wasted no time launching politically motivated investigations, explicit threats against media organisations and implicit threats against their parent companies. These include inquiries into CBS, ABC parent company Disney, NBC parent company Comcast, public broadcasters NPR and PBS, and California television station KCBS.
- 4 – Trump’s personal lawsuits against media organisations
While Trump settled a lawsuit with ABC’s parent company Disney, he continues to sue CBS, The Des Moines Register, Gannett and the Pulitzer Center over coverage he deemed biased
- $1.60 – Average annual amount each American pays for public media
Trump has threatened to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting, framing the move as a cost-cutting measure. However, public media only costs each American about $1.60 each year, representing a tremendous bargain as it gives Americans access to a wealth of local, national, and lifesaving emergency programming
- Figures as of the date of publication.
