Trump tied source protection to jail and treated publication on a matter of obvious public importance as something the state could coerce into silence. Jameel Jaffer answered with the essential press-freedom point: reporting the government dislikes is still protected, and source confidentiality is often what makes that reporting possible. “We think we’ll be able to find it out.” “Because we’re going to go to the media company that released it, and we’re going to say, ‘National security. Give it up or go to jail.’” Donald Trump, at a White House news conference, as quoted by NBC News “News organizations have a First Amendment right to publish stories about matters of public importance — including stories the government would prefer to suppress.” “President Trump’s threat should be understood as an effort to intimidate the press and to prevent journalists from doing work the public needs them to do.” Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, as quoted by NBC News
🗞️⚖️ Trump is threatening to jail journalists for protecting sources after reporting on the downing of a U.S. F-15E over Iran — waving “national security” like a cudgel. That’s not public safety; it’s authoritarian press intimidation. #Trump #Hegseth #PressFreedom
