Trump delivered a stunning admission live on CNN\u2019s 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.
<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to have CNN go on a normal path, and we\u2019ll do that,\u201d 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.
\u201cWell, I\u2019m on a normal path right here, sir, and I appreciate your time. And thank you for calling in,\u201d 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 \u201cwe would love to have you back sometime.\u201d
The backlash was immediate and brutal. Viewers flooded social media calling Tapper an \u201cenabler\u201d and a \u201csycophant.\u201d One wrote that it is not up to the president \u201cto direct the \u2018path\u2019 any news organization follows,\u201d adding that if CNN is buying into this, it should \u201cclose their doors, or officially merge with Fox.\u201d Another put it plainly: \u201cAdmitting they are trying to control the media.\u201d
The timing makes the admission even more chilling. The Justice Department just approved Paramount Skydance\u2019s acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN\u2019s parent company, a merger that depends on staying in the administration\u2019s good graces. When a president talks about putting a network on a \u201cnormal path\u201d 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 CNN\u2019s job \u201cis not to try and please the president or only report the statements he likes.\u201d On Sunday, Americans watched him do exactly that, and they made clear the free press answers to the public, not the president.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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