Donald Trump has made headlines throughout his short presidency, but now he's making no bones about the fact that he is not interested in cooperating with press that doesn't portray him in a positive light.
He has barred several major news junkets from attending any of his press conferences, insisting that they are reporting "fake news." Reportedly, he isn't adjusting well to his new role, and any criticism might make it even worse for his self-esteem.
Is it American?
A major criticism of this new "decree," passed down from commander-in-chief Trump, is that it is inherently un-American.
In fact, the first amendment to the constitution states that freedom of the press is an inherent right for those living in the United States. It reads:
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."
Although Donald Trump is not yet arresting anyone for their less-than-flattering portrayal of his term thus far, it still seems he may be restricting their rights.
Echoes of the past
While calling Trump a dictator at this stage would be undeniably going a bit too far, this new trend of calling out the press, and now barring them, does have chilling reminders of dictators past.
Hitler, for example, made all filmmakers (or those involved in the making of a film in any way) of the era sign an oath of loyalty to the Nazi party. His entire press coverage was controlled by his propaganda minister, Josef Goebbels. Anyone who "crossed" Hitler in the press could face doing time in prison, or worse, a concentration camp.
In some countries, even today, the press is tightly controlled to protect the image of its leaders. For example, foreign reporters are not allowed within the borders of North Korea unless they are being given a very restrictive guided tour of the country that showcases all of its best qualities.
The foreign press is also not allowed in Chechnya, for fear of what they may report to the outside world.
Where are we headed?
Time will tell whether or not someone calls Trump out and he stops his "fake news" song and dance. But we can only wonder how long that will take.
