Trump delivered a stunning admission live on CNNâs own airwaves Sunday, telling anchor Jake Tapper that his administration is actively working to steer the direction of the network, a statement that immediately set off alarm bells about press freedom in America.
Trump did not even try to hide it.
âWeâre trying to have CNN go on a normal path, and weâll do that,â he said.
A sitting president, on live national television, openly stating that he is working to control the coverage of an American news network. And instead of pushing back, Tapper thanked him.
âWell, Iâm on a normal path right here, sir, and I appreciate your time. And thank you for calling in,â Tapper replied.
Trump had phoned in to discuss the sudden passing of Senator Lindsey Graham and declined to answer questions on any other subject, including the latest U.S. strikes on Iran. Tapper accepted every limit without objection, closing by telling the president âwe would love to have you back sometime.â
The backlash was immediate and brutal. Viewers flooded social media calling Tapper an âenablerâ and a âsycophant.â One wrote that it is not up to the president âto direct the âpathâ any news organization follows,â adding that if CNN is buying into this, it should âclose their doors, or officially merge with Fox.â Another put it plainly: âAdmitting they are trying to control the media.â
The timing makes the admission even more chilling. The Justice Department just approved Paramount Skydanceâs acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNNâs parent company, a merger that depends on staying in the administrationâs good graces. When a president talks about putting a network on a ânormal pathâ while holding leverage over its owners, that is not a slip of the tongue. That is a warning.
Just months ago, Tapper himself declared on air that CNNâs job âis not to try and please the president or only report the statements he likes.â On Sunday, Americans watched him do exactly that, and they made clear the free press answers to the public, not the president.
