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, reigniting concerns about media independence and respect for the First Amendment.

Published on 09/04/2026 at 12:51.

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.

A new low was hit this week when the president threatened to jail journalists. This is a threat never before heard from a U.S. president.

In reality, Donald Trump accuses the media of revealing that one of the 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 major military operation, he was eventually rescued.

Despite this, Donald Trump believes that by publishing this information, the media endangered this soldier and those tasked with rescuing him. The Trump administration therefore wants to know who leaked this information.

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

Despite a certain familiarity with the president’s excesses, this time it touches a sensitive nerve: the first amendment on freedom of expression, which guarantees press freedom.

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

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

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

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

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 move described as “highly unusual and aggressive” by the editorial director at the time.

Donald Trump has initiated numerous lawsuits against certain media outlets and has received 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 worse than censorship itself.