Donald Trump has warned that “changes are coming” for the media, accusing the press of being “out of control” after negative coverage of a failed strike on Iran. His remarks sparked alarm, with the Committee to Protect Journalists condemning them as a direct threat to the First Amendment.

Critics argue that threats from a president blur “the line between rhetoric and action” and risk turning hostility into attempts to silence scrutiny. For over two centuries, a free press has been central to American democracy, raising concern about whether leaders will continue to accept accountability or try to weaken it.

Journalists now face not only the task of reporting but also “defending the very conditions that allow them to do so.” The debate has shifted from covering the news to protecting the freedom to publish it.

History shows that when rulers intimidate truth-tellers, societies risk sliding into authoritarianism. As the article notes, “Silence before oppression is itself a form of speech.”

The press must therefore endure — informing the public while resisting efforts to suppress it. The threat is serious, but so is the responsibility to keep speaking when power turns against them.